Sayani Gupta sues Vinita Negi for Rs 9 crores over Aasmani copyright claims
Actor and filmmaker Sayani Gupta has filed a Rs 9 crores defamation suit before the Mumbai City Civil Court against filmmaker Vinita Negi over allegations surrounding her directorial debut, the short fiction film Aasmani. The case, titled Sayani Gupta v. Vinita Negi & Ors., has also named Meta, Reddit and Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited as defendants.
An application seeking an urgent hearing and interim relief was likely to be listed before additional sessions judge Shudhirkumar Murlidharrao Bukke on September 3.
The dispute began after Negi, an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), accused Gupta of copyright infringement and breach of trust. Negi had alleged that Aasmani drew substantially from her unfinished documentary Prabha, with both projects featuring an elderly woman and a vintage car.
Gupta has now denied the allegations and claimed in her suit that they were false, misleading, unsubstantiated and defamatory. Her plea argued that copyright law protects original expression rather than broad or abstract ideas.
“The mere presence of an elderly woman, a car, a driver or any other generic element in a creative work does not confer upon Negi a monopoly over such ideas or concepts,” the suit stated.
According to Gupta’s plea, Negi approached the Screenwriters Association (SWA) with a complaint in April 2026. While the proceedings were pending, Negi allegedly circulated a “Statement of Support” on WhatsApp and social media seeking backing from members of the film fraternity. The suit claimed that the campaign received more than 250 signatures.
Gupta further alleged that the controversy resulted in professional damage, including the withdrawal of Aasmani from the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ).
She has sought Rs 9 crores in damages, along with directions to Meta, Reddit and Deccan Chronicle to remove allegedly defamatory content. She has also sought an unconditional apology and public retraction from Negi.
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