Sanjay Dutt’s name is back in headlines, but this time the buzz is not about a film set or a red carpet appearance. The actor’s nightclub venture, Grand Club, has been pulled into a copyright dispute after the Bombay High Court stepped in with an ad interim order restraining the venue from playing protected songs without the required licence, turning a glamour-linked hospitality address into the centre of a closely watched legal flashpoint.
The order, dated April 8, 2026, was passed in a suit filed by Phonographic Performance Limited against Grand Club and others. According to the plaintiff’s case recorded by the court, copyrighted sound recordings were allegedly being played at the venue for commercial use without a valid licence. The court also noted that none appeared for the defendants when the matter was taken up.
What The Bombay High Court Said
Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh granted ad interim relief after considering the plaintiff’s submissions that its representative had visited the premises and found songs from its repertoire being publicly played without authorisation. The order also records that an earlier licence issued to the defendant had expired and had not been renewed.
Crucially, the court’s direction leaves little room for ambiguity. The order restrained the respondents and anyone acting on their behalf from “publicly performing or in any manner communicating the sound recordings of the songs assigned and transferred to the Applicant” and from allowing the premises to be used for such communication “without obtaining non-exclusive public performance rights/license in sound recordings from the Applicant or otherwise infringing the copyright in any work owned and protected by the Applicant.”
The order further refers to an earlier Bombay High Court ruling dated January 24, 2024, which upheld the plaintiff’s right to issue licences and act against unauthorised use of copyrighted sound recordings. At this interim stage, the latest order effectively reinforces the position that commercial venues cannot treat music playback as a routine add-on when copyright permissions are required.
What This Means For Nightclubs, Restaurants And Commercial Venues
The impact of the order stretches well beyond a single celebrity-linked address. For nightclubs, lounges, restaurants and event spaces, music is often part of the commercial draw, shaping both ambience and footfall. This ruling underlines that such use carries licensing obligations, especially when songs are played as part of a business experience offered to paying customers.
That larger business angle is also why the case has drawn attention outside the courtroom. With Dutt associated with the venture, the legal spotlight on Grand Club has naturally spilled into broader curiosity about the actor’s off-screen business interests as well as his packed screen slate.
Sanjay Dutt’S Recent And Upcoming Work
Even as Grand Club faces scrutiny, Dutt remains active across multiple film projects, which keeps public attention firmly fixed on both his professional and entrepreneurial moves. In the past few years, he has featured in Leo and Jawan in special appearances, while continuing to take on prominent parts in mainstream commercial cinema.
In 2026, Dutt was seen in The Raja Saab, and he also featured in Aakhri Sawal, which released theatrically on May 15, 2026. Looking ahead, he is attached to The Good Maharaja, scheduled for release on December 18, 2026. His current slate has also included titles such as KD: The Devil and Raja Shivaji, underlining that even as an off-screen venture has run into legal trouble, his acting lineup continues to keep him very much in the public eye.
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