The Delhi High Court has rejected Warner Bros' plea that Indian film Hari Puttar - A Comedy Of Terrors, produced by Mirchi Movies, sounds too similar to their franchise series Harry Potter.

The Hollywood studio had moved the court for an interim restraining order on the release of the Punjabi comedy, on the basis that the producers were 'guilty of infringing the Warner Brothers trademarks' as the name Hari Puttar is 'visually and phonetically similar to Harry Potter'.

The judge on the case said Harry Potter and Hari Puttar are like chalk and cheese, adding 'the possibility of an unlettered audience viewing a Harry Potter movie is remote, to say the least. An illiterate or semi-literate movie viewer, in case he ventures to see a film by the name of Hari Puttar, would never be able to relate the same with a Harry Potter film or book.'

Munish Purii, COO, Mirchi Movies, said: 'The learned judge has taken serious note of Warner Brothers coming to the court at the eleventh hour and the injunction application is dismissed.' The producers of Hari Puttar say they had registered the title over two years ago, and going by the publicity material and promos, the film does not resemble the Harry Potter as much as the Home Alone series.

Directed by Rajesh Bajaj and Lucky Kohli and starring Zain Khan, Jackie Shroff and Sarika, Hari Puttar opens in cinemas in India on September 26. It is the story of a 10-year-old whose family forgets him at home as they leave for their vacation. With the help of his cousin, he fends off two burglars attempting to steal a secret formula devised by his scientist father.

Topics