In a significant development for the Tamil film industry, the Madras High Court on Friday declined to issue an order stopping the release of director Sudha Kongara's upcoming film, Parasakthi. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by writer KV Rajendran, also known as Varun Rajendran, who alleges that the film's script was stolen from his registered work titled Chemmozhi.
Writer Alleges Association's "Grave Breakdown" of Duty
Following the court's decision, Rajendran issued a press statement making serious allegations against the South Indian Film Writers Association (SWAN). He claimed that SWAN refused to accept a court order directing them to submit an enquiry report or opinion letter on the dispute by January 28. Rajendran further accused the defendants in the case of not submitting their full script for comparison.
He described SWAN's alleged inaction as a "grave breakdown of responsibility and accountability." In his statement, he posed a critical question: "How is the Hon'ble Court expected to grant any meaningful protective order — how can any stay be judicially considered — when the very materials required for comparison are withheld, and when even a Court notice is refused?"
Rajendran revealed that he had initially submitted a formal complaint to SWAN in January 2025, but the association had taken no action on his grievance prior to him approaching the court.
SWAN President Presents a Different Narrative
When contacted for a response, SWAN president K Bhagyaraj presented a contrasting account of the events. He stated that Rajendran approached the association when Parasakthi was about to begin production. Bhagyaraj said he advised Rajendran to share his script so SWAN could check for similarities with the film's story privately.
"I told him, 'They are just starting work on the film. And it won't be good to ask them right now to give their script. Give me your script. I will check with them and find out whether the two stories have any similarities. If they say 'no' and it ends up being similar, we will proceed with the next step and file a case then'," Bhagyaraj recounted. "But he refused to share his story with us. What can we do then?"
Bhagyaraj added that Rajendran subsequently filed a private lawsuit. He confirmed that SWAN has now been named as a respondent in the case and has begun its own internal process to examine the scripts. "Now, from our side, we have started checking whether there are any similarities between both stories. If the court asks us about it, then we'll respond," the SWAN president stated.
Legal Battle Continues as Release Proceeds
The Madras High Court's refusal to grant an interim injunction means that the release of Sudha Kongara's Parasakthi can proceed as planned, at least for now. However, the core legal suit regarding the alleged plagiarism of Varun Rajendran's script Chemmozhi remains active and will continue through the judicial process.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges within the Indian film industry regarding intellectual property protection for writers. It also puts a spotlight on the role of industry bodies like SWAN in mediating such disputes before they escalate to litigation. The outcome of SWAN's internal investigation, once submitted to the court, could play a crucial role in the future proceedings of this high-profile legal clash.
