Director Shankar, well known for making blockbuster films like “Sivaji: The Boss”, “2.0”, “Indian”, and many others, has recently sparked controversy with a tweet. Without mentioning any specific movie or filmmaker, Shankar accused several filmmakers of blatantly copying scenes from the famous book “Veera Yuga Nayagan Vel Paari”, written by Su. Venkatesan. Shankar expressed his dismay, stating that the film rights to the book are with him, and he plans to file a case against the filmmakers involved.
Although Shankar did not specify the movies or scenes in question, fans speculate that he may be referring to Jr. NTR’s upcoming release “Devara”, which features many underwater scenes. Additionally, it’s assumed he might have concerns about “Kanguva”, another film whose story seems to bear similarities to the book.
It’s not uncommon to see comparisons between various shows and movies based on sea adventures or pirates. For example, any pirate-based movie is often compared to “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Similarly, “Fighter” was accused of copying scenes from “Top Gun: Maverick”. These comparisons, though inevitable, can sometimes seem unfair given the vast creative space filmmakers work in. What makes Shankar’s claim unique is that both “Kanguva” and “Devara” haven’t been released yet, and drawing conclusions based solely on their trailers seems premature.
While it’s possible the filmmakers may have read the book and drawn inspiration from it, the actual movie scenes could differ significantly from the book.
On one hand, these films are nearing release, and if no action is taken before then, it may become difficult for Shankar to make his film, given that audiences might feel the ideas have already been explored. We’ve seen a similar situation with Akshay Kumar’s “Kesari” and Randeep Hooda’s “Battle of Saragarhi”. When “Kesari” released first, Hooda’s project had to be shelved due to the overlap in subject matter.
What are your thoughts on this situation?