An Indian court will hear accusations of indecency against US pop star Katy Perry and Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan over their dancing at a cricket event, media reported on Wednesday.

Madras High Court, in southern India, ordered a hearing on the accusations on July 31, although the pair will not be required to attend because they have not been formally charged.

The court was acting on a "public interest" complaint filed by a lawyer which alleged the opening show of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April was "obscene and lascivious, appealing to prurient interest".

Top Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla were also cited in the complaint, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Perry was among a host of celebrities who performed on stage in Chennai for the opening ceremony, held a day before the start of the fifth edition of the Twenty20 tournament.

The complainant, K. Jebakumar, also claimed that the show had distracted students who were writing exams at the time and pursued legal action under the Indian Penal Code.

The court will rule whether the complaint is justified, and if so, whether formal charges can be laid against the accused.