A legal dispute has erupted just days before the scheduled theatrical release of the much-anticipated Tamil film 'Parasakthi', starring Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, and Atharvaa. The Madras High Court has been approached by a man claiming the film's core narrative was stolen from his registered story, leading to a plea for an injunction against the movie's release.
Associate Director Alleges Story Theft of 'Semmozhi'
The controversy centers around a petitioner named Rajendran, who previously worked as an associate director. Rajendran has filed a plea stating that he authored a story titled 'Semmozhi' in 2010, focusing on the 'language war' against Hindi. He officially registered this story with the South Indian Film Writers’ Association.
In his petition, Rajendran elaborated that he shared the 'Semmozhi' story with the late former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi during the production of the film 'Pen Singam', where he served as an assistant director. He claims to have further developed the narrative based on suggestions from Karunanidhi and later pitched it to several producers in the industry.
Copyright Infringement Claim and Plea to Halt Release
Rajendran's primary allegation is that the fundamental idea and plotline of his registered 'Semmozhi' story have been copied without authorisation to create the film 'Parasakthi', directed by Sudha Kongara. He asserts that despite lodging a formal complaint with the Film Writers’ Association in January of this year, no corrective action was taken.
Based on these claims, Rajendran approached the Madras High Court with a specific request. He sought the appointment of an expert committee to conduct a comparative analysis of both stories. Crucially, he pleaded for an interim stay to stop the release of 'Parasakthi', which is slated for January 10, until the review process is completed.
Madras High Court's Decision and Next Steps
The case was heard by Justice S.M. Subramaniam during a vacation session of the Madras High Court. Representing the film's production company, senior advocate P.H. Aravindh Pandian and advocate Vijayan Subramanian presented their arguments opposing the plea for a stay.
After considering submissions from both sides, Justice Subramaniam ruled that an interim stay on the film's release cannot be granted at this juncture. However, the court has officially issued notices to the makers of 'Parasakthi' and the South Indian Film Writers’ Association, directing them to file their detailed responses to the allegations.
The court has scheduled the next hearing in this copyright infringement case for January 2, 2025. This means the film's release on January 10, 2025, will proceed as planned unless a future order dictates otherwise. The legal battle, however, is set to continue, casting a shadow over the film's launch.
