It was recently announced by Vishesh Films that Vikram Bhatt will be directing their next film Raaz 4. But the film seems to have run into trouble with news emerging that Ramesh Taurani has rights to the title.
When contacted, Mahesh Bhatt said that they have already announced the film and that work on the film will progress as planned. `The Raaz franchise is our prized asset,` he said.
However, producer Ramesh Taurani had a different story to tell. `The first instalment of the franchise was made in 2002 and back then, Mahesh Bhatt and I were co-producers. As a result, we have joint ownership of the title, Raaz 4. So while Vishesh Films are credited with making the second and third part of the Raaz franchise, I will make the fourth instalment. In fact, we will soon be announcing the cast and crew of the film,` he said.
When we mentioned this to Mahesh Bhatt, the producer said that since they announced the film first, the title lies with them. `I don't care about the registration procedure anymore.
Earlier when my daughter Pooja Bhatt had registered the title 'Thank You', the Indian Film And Television Producers Council chose to buckle under pressure from the other side, represented by Anees Bazmee.
Now they can't be taking a stand against me on this issue as well. I have no qualms about questioning their standing and authority. If Thank You does not belong to Pooja, Razz 4 does not belong to Ramesh Taurani,` he said matter-of-factly.
With Raaz being one of the most successful franchises under the Vishesh Films' banner, it will be interesting to see the outcome of this battle.
