Court orders Modi-Adani documentary takedown in India
An Indian court has ordered the takedown of an online documentary posted by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism, after Adani Enterprises sued, calling the film defamatory.
The Calcutta High Court issued the interim order late on Monday. It told YouTube, X and Meta’s Instagram to remove several posts of the 36-minute film, “The Friendship Files”, and restrained Bhatia from disseminating the video. The order stays in force until 31 January 2027.
What the court decided
Adani’s flagship firm, Adani Enterprises, told the court that the documentary was riddled with false content and had prompted inquiries from some investors in the company, whom the court order did not name.
The court’s takedown order described the documentary in plain terms. It said the film “is not a news report or an account of proceedings. It is a dramatised narrative.”
In its challenge, Adani Enterprises said it does not seek to restrain constructive criticism of government policy or of business concentration. It argued instead that Bhatia had suppressed material facts, according to the court order.
Hearings in the case are likely to resume in January, before the interim order expires. The order is therefore a temporary measure, not a final verdict on the film.
The film and the claims in it
The film used archival footage to trace the history of the relationship between Modi and Adani, starting in the western state of Gujarat, where both men come from.
It raised questions about Adani’s winning bid for six airports in 2019 after a government rule change that critics say favoured his enterprise. Those allegations resemble claims levelled by the opposition Congress party.
The Adani group has denied such allegations, and the Indian government says all regulations were complied with and there was no favouritism. Modi’s opponents have often accused the prime minister of having close ties with Adani, saying the business tycoon has received favourable treatment over the years. The government and the Adani group have repeatedly denied those claims.
This report presents the film’s claims as claims. It does not treat them as established fact, and it records the denials alongside them.
How the dispute unfolded
The takedown order followed a chain of events that began weeks earlier.
Mahua Moitra, a lawmaker and political opponent of Modi, posted the documentary on 11 October. She wrote on X on Monday night that it was still on her timeline, saying: “I posted this on Oct 11th. It is still on my timeline so do watch it.”
Earlier, regional opposition leader Raj Thackeray shared the documentary on his X account, where it gathered 4.8 million views. He later took it down, saying he was doing so at the request of the Mumbai police commissioner.
Before the court challenge, police in Maharashtra, a state led by Modi’s ruling alliance, sent a takedown notice to Bhatia on 19 October, saying the content “made serious unsubstantiated allegations”.
Bhatia wrote on his X account that the lawsuit demands 500 million rupees (about $5.25 million) in damages. In one post, he wrote: “Truth is on my side.” In another, he wrote: “I believe the documentary has rattled Adani Enterprises Limited and struck a nerve at the highest levels.”
Adani Enterprises, Modi’s office and Bhatia did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters, and neither did the social media companies.
What happens next
The wider question is the balance the case raises between reputation and free expression. Adani Enterprises has framed its case as a response to false and damaging claims, while Bhatia has framed the film as truthful. The court has so far ruled only on an interim basis, and the January hearings will test those competing claims further.
For now, the film’s online life is restricted in India until at least 31 January 2027, or until the court orders otherwise.
What did the Calcutta High Court order?
The court told YouTube, X and Instagram to remove several posts of the 36-minute film “The Friendship Files” and restrained its maker, Sabeer Bhatia, from disseminating it. The interim order runs until 31 January 2027.
Who made the documentary?
Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia, who is based in the United States, posted the film, which traces the history of the relationship between Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani.
What does Adani Enterprises say?
Is this a final verdict?
- Reuters, “Indian court orders takedown of documentary on Adani, Modi” (27 October 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indian-court-orders-takedown-documentary-adani-modi-2026-10-27/
- Khaleej Times, “Indian court orders takedown of documentary accusing Modi, Adani of cronyism” (27 October 2026): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/asia/indian-court-takedown-documentary-modi-adani-cronyism?amp=1
