10 months since its release on Amazon Prime Video, Suriya starrer Jai Bhim continues to headline the news for not-so-very-good reasons. The film has landed itself in another legal trouble, yet again. This time around, the makers of the film along with the lead star have been accused of stealing the story of the film. The man on whom the film is based has reportedly filed an FIR with Chennai police under the Copyright Act.
Jai Bhim is loosely based on a true incident from 1993. The film chronicles the atrocities faced by the tribal individuals who were arrested and allegedly tortured by the police. Justice Krishnaswami Chandru is said to be the man who helped them get released from jail. Suriya essays the role of this very man in Jai Bhim. The complainant suggests that his own story was stolen by the makers.
DT Next reports that V Kulanjiyappan, on whom a character in the film is based, filed the FIR claiming that he did not get any royalty for the script. The case was filed after the magistrate court directed the police to do so. In his complaint at the Sastri Nagar police station in Chennai, Kulanjiyappan alleged that the makers had allegedly promised him to play royalty but they failed to do so.
The FIR has been registered under Sec.63 (a) of the Copyright Act against the film’s director, T J Gnanavel, Suriya, and the production house, 2D Entertainment. Kulanjiyappan was promised ₹50 lakh as royalty and also a share in the profit. He claimed that Gnanavel met him in January 2019 asking for details about the 1993 incident. The story was built based on the information given by Kulanjiyappan.
The complainant was also provoked by the fact that his community was shown in a bad light in the film. He alleged that the filmmakers have economically boycotted and exploited the victims, and hence he had to take such a harsh step. The film’s makers are yet to comment on the FIR.
Interestingly, the Jai Bhim has already been through a lot of trouble when it was initially released. The film was dragged to court by Vanniyar Sangam, the parent body of the Tamil Nadu-based political party PMK. He claimed that the film had portrayed the Vanniyar community in a bad light. The director had to apologize to the community.
Jai Bhim was released on Prime Video on November 2, 2021. The film was an instant hit and received universal acclaim. Suriya was praised for his acting in the movie, which got zeroed in as India’s official entry to the 94th Academy Awards but failed to shortlist in the given category.
(Featured Image Credits: Twitter)
