A day after director Shankar announced that he was remaking the Tamil film Anniyan in Hindi with Ranveer Singh in the lead, producer V Ravichandran of Ascar Films, who had produced the original film, issued a statement on Thursday claiming that the remake was “totally illegal”.
According to the statement, Ravichandran had bought the full rights of the story and hasn’t yet sold it to anyone. Ravichandran said in the statement said that Shankar had “stooped to a low level” and asked the director to immediately stop work on the Hindi remake.
“The entire story rights were purchased by me from the writer Sujatha (alias late Rangarajan) for which full payment was done by me to him and necessary records are also available. I am the whole and sole owner of the rights of the storyline. As such, any such adaptation or remaking or copying the main plot of the said movie, without my permission, is totally illegal,” the statement read.
Adding that a legal notice was attached with the letter, Ravichandran mentioned that he had helped Shankar regain his “lost ground” after the latter’s 2003 film Boys underperformed at the box office.
“It is a sorry state of affairs that you have conveniently forgotten the same and without even informing me, you have tried to reap the accolades of my successful movie Anniyan by associating yourself and an adaptation of the Hindi version of the same. I am sure you always maintain certain ethical values, hence I wonder how you can stoop to a low level by resorting to such unlawful acts. You are hereby advised to immediately stop proceeding any further on the same, due to the illegal copying of the storyline for which the entire rights are held by me,” the statement read.
Shankar replied to Ravichandran in a statement on Thursday and said that the allegations against him were false and the script was with him, which entitles him to utilise it.
“Everyone associated with the movie were aware that the script and storyline belongs exclusively to me and, in fact, the movie was released with the tag: Story, Screenplay and Direction by Shankar. I have not assigned in writing any script or screenplay to any person, and continue to retain the right to exploit the script in any manner I deem fit. As the admitted author of the literary work, my rights cannot be interfered with under any circumstances,” the statement read.
Recommended
He mentioned that late writer Sujatha was engaged by him to write dialogues for the film and was accordingly credited.
Stating that the film’s rights had not been given to Ravichandran in writing, he said, “In the absence of any assignment in writing from me, there can be no basis whatsoever to even assert that the ‘storyline’ vests with you.”
On Wednesday, Shankar announced that the remake will go on floors in 2022. The remake would be produced by Jayantilal Gada’s Pen Studios and co-produced by God Bless Entertainment.
Released in 2005, Anniyan featured Vikram as a lawyer having a multiple personality disorder. The film was dubbed in Hindi and Telugu in 2006. The film also starred Sadha, Nedumudi Venu, Nassar, and Prakash Raj.