Actor and filmmaker Sayani Gupta has been granted interim relief by the Mumbai Civil Court in her defamation case against filmmaker Vinita Negi. The dispute arises from copyright allegations made by Vinita Negi concerning Gupta’s directorial debut short film, Aasmani.
As per the court order dated September 3, a copy of which is with HT City, the honourable civil court in Mumbai granted interim relief to Sayani Gupta against Vinita Negi after a detailed hearing. The order restrains Negi from making, publishing, broadcasting, or circulating any form of material that is defamatory in content against Gupta. The court also directed Meta Platforms and media houses to forthwith delete and remove all posts containing defamatory content against the actor.
The matter on Gupta’s behalf was led by Counsel Monil Punjabi, with Partner Priyanka Sinha and her team.
Sayani Gupta vs Vinita Negi case
The dispute began after Negi, an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), alleged that Gupta’s short film Aasmani shared similarities with her yet-to-be-completed documentary, Prabha. Both projects feature an elderly woman and a vintage car. The actor rejected the allegations as “unfounded and scathing”. In the suit that she filed against Negi, Gupta sought ₹9 crore in damages, sling with removal of defamatory content, and a public apology and retraction.
According to Gupta’s plea, Negi had filed a complaint before the Screenwriters Association in April 2026, and while the proceedings were underway, Negi circulated a ‘Statement of Support’ to individuals, WhatsApp groups and on social media, which garnered over 250 signatures from the fraternity.
Gupta’s plea further stated that none of the signatories had seen Aasmani, while some had also not viewed material from Negi’s documentary. As per the plea, allegedly defamatory emails were also sent to film festivals where Aasmani had been selected, affecting its release and festival prospects and, according to Gupta, harming her professional reputation as the film was abruptly withdrawn from the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand.