Karthi-starrer Kaithi recently found itself in the midst of a legal tussle, when a man alleged that the Tamil film’s story was his. However, a Kerala court has now dismissed this man’s petition and ruled that the story belongs to the film’s director, Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Kaithi, which released in 2019, was produced under the banners of Dream Warrior Pictures and Vivekananda Pictures. A Hindi remake of the film is in the works, with Ajay Devgn essaying Karthi’s character. Moreover, following the positive reception of the original, the Tamil team also confirmed a sequel.
The film revolves around Dilli (Karthi), a former prisoner, who is set to meet his daughter for the first time, after being released from jail. However, his attempts are interrupted due to a drug raid planned by a police official, according to IMDb. Apart from Karthi, the film also stars actors Narain, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, George Maryan, and Dheena in pivotal roles.
Legal trouble began for the film’s makers when a person named Rajeev from Kollam district in Kerala approached a court there, claiming that Kaithi’s story was his.
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Rajeev, who was arrested by the police in a murder case and later released in 2007, claimed that he had met the producer of Kaithi, SR Prabhu, and narrated his real-life experiences to him and even received an advance for his story. He alleged that he then received no further information about the film and found out later that his story was being directed by Lokesh.
Subsequently, Rajeev approached a Kollam court, seeking the license of the film as well as monetary compensation of Rs 4 crore.
The production house, however, took to social media and asserted that their records were clean and they were ready to prove as much in courts.
The case caused a delay in the production of the Hindi remake and the Tamil sequel. With the Kerala court dismissing the petition and ruling in favour of the makers, the two films can now resume production.