Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video Director Issues Apology For ‘Unauthorized’ Stree Reference: ‘We Are Rectifying It’

Maddock Films, led by Dinesh Vijan, has received a formal public apology from director Raaj Shaandilyaa and the producers of Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video—Super Cassettes Ind. Pvt. Ltd., Balaji Motion Pictures, and Wakaoo Films—following a social media uproar over the unauthorized use of characters and dialogue from the Stree franchise.

In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Raaj Shaandilyaa expressed regret over the infringement, acknowledging that elements from Stree were used without permission. He extended a “sincere and unconditional apology” to Maddock Films for the violation of intellectual property rights, taking responsibility on behalf of the production team.

The statement read, “I, Raaj Shaandilyaa, the director of the film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, on behalf of myself and on behalf of Super Cassettes Ind. Pvt. Ltd., Balaji Motion Pictures, and Wakaoo Films, the producers of the film, extend our sincere and unconditional apology for the unauthorized use of character and dialogue from Maddock Films’ franchise Stree in our film. We deeply regret any harm caused to Maddock Films and their franchise as a result of this infringement.”

Shaandilyaa and the producers confirmed that all infringing content would be removed from the film by October 15, 2024, and emphasized their commitment to preventing similar incidents in the future. They also clarified that Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video has no association with Maddock Films or the Stree franchise, adding, “We are taking immediate steps to rectify the issue and are in the process of removing all infringing content from our film wherein we have used character and dialogue from Maddock Films Stree. It will be our endeavor to complete this process by Tuesday, 15th October 2024, to the full satisfaction of Maddock Films. We also commit to ensuring that no such unauthorized usage will occur in the future. We further confirm that our film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video is in no way associated with Maddock Films, their Stree and Stree 2 franchises, or any of the characters therein. Additionally, we make no claim to any intellectual property rights in Stree, Stree 2, or any related characters.”

Despite the apology, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video continues to struggle critically. In its review, News18 gave the film a two-star rating, highlighting its weak writing and disjointed plot. An excerpt from the review noted, “Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video suffers from weak writing, with the plot and screenplay all over the place. Raaj put effort into the dialogues, which land in some places, but the sloppy writing rises to the surface quickly, ultimately impacting Rajkummar’s performance. He tries his best to carry the film but is weighed down by the lackluster script. Triptii, on the other hand, lacks screen presence. Aside from the scenes already shown in the trailer, she doesn’t stand out as much as one would hope.”