PremiumBombay HC stays criminal defamation case against SonyLIV's Scam 1992
The makers of the web series have been accused of trademark infringement by a bank
Last Updated: 04.30 PM, Aug 23, 2021
The makers of Scam 1992 can breathe a sigh of relief. The Bombay High Court stayed the criminal defamation case against SonyLIV’s web series featuring the life of stock investor/ conman Harshad Mehta. An FIR was registered by Karad Urban Co-operative Bank (KUCB) stating trademark infringement in the web series. The bank has accused the makers for using its logo in one of the scenes in the third episode. They claim that they have suffered a huge financial loss and issues with their reputation due to the ‘negative publicity’.
The series was released in October 2020. The series features Pratik Gandhi as Harshad Mehta, a small-time Gujarati salesman who rises up to become a millionaire by using loopholes in the stock market sales for his own financial gains. The series is based on journalist Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu's 1992 book The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away.
Soon after its release, the web series garnered a lot of attention among the netizens. Pratik Gandhi’s unique imitation of Harshad Mehta with loose-collar shirts and gold-chain watch was much appreciated and lauded by fans as well as critics. The music composed by Achint Thakkar became a chart buster with Harshad Mehta’s BGM becoming one of the biggest hits.
The series was jointly created by SonyLIV and Applause Entertainments. Upon seeing the overwhelming reception that the series got, the makers decided to collaborate once more to create Scam 2003 featuring the stamp paper scam by Abdul Karim Telgi in 2003. It is said to be directed by Hansal Mehta.