Kaala plagiarism row: Director Ranjith has penned script, Rajinikanth tells court
Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth has informed a city court that ace film director Pa. Ranjith penned story for the upcoming flick Kaala - Karikala, in which he plays the lead role.
In the petition filed by the proprietor of GSR Vinmeen Creations, petitioner K. Rajashekaran alleged that the film title and story belonged to him and sought directions to Rajinikanth, Pa Ranjith, producer Dhanush of Wunderbar Films Private Limited, South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) to stop filming. The title, Karikalan absolutely belonged to him. He had registered the title Karikalan with the SIFCC.
When the matter came up for hearing before IV assistant judge M. Elangovan, Vinod Kumar, executive director, Wunderbar Films, filed a counter affidavit on behalf of Rajinikanth, Wunderbar Films, and Pa Ranjith and stated that the story was penned by Pa Ranjith.
Ranjith wrote the story titled – Kaala - about an underworld gang leader in Mumbai named Karikalan. Ranjith approached Wunderbar Films to produce the film based on his story with Rajinikanth in the lead role.
Elaborating the procedure for registration of film titles, he said, “if a person wants to produce a film, he has to become a member of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TNFPC) and register the film title with either SIFCC or TNFPC”.
Once registering the title, film production has to commence within a year otherwise the registration will lapse if it was not renewed. Film title Kaala was registered by M/s Mini Studio, a sister concern of Wunderbar Films, with TNFPC on May 24, 2017.
He said, “K. Rajashekaran is a complete stranger and present suit is not maintainable. The title of the movie is different from the title of Rajashekaran. He has no locus standi to seek any relief against the movie. In his own pleadings, he disclosed that title registration lapsed”.
Rajasekaran never revealed his story to Rajinikanth. Kaala has no connection with the petitioner’s alleged story – Karikalan - except the name of Rajinikanth’s character in the film. Having lost his alleged title, he cannot seek any relief against the movie acted by Rajinikanth. And petition is liable to be dismissed, he added.
