Rajnikant's Robot caught in controversy

It’s Asia’s most expensive movie. And it’s in trouble. Barely days before its release, Rajnikanth-Aishwarya Rai starrer Robot, has come under attack by a film-maker, who claims that the movie’s makers stole his title.

It’s Asia’s most expensive movie. And it’s in trouble. Barely days before its release, Rajnikanth-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer

HT Image

Endhiran

, which will release in Bollywood as

Robot

, has come under attack by a film-maker, who claims that the movie’s makers stole his title. Delhi based film-maker Arun Kuckreja has alleged that he had the made a film with the same title in 1996, and that he had the title

Robot

waitlisted with IIMPA (Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association) for a sequel.

Recently, the makers of Endhiran claimed that the title was registered with actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies entertainment, and that SRK gave them the title in goodwill.

However, Kuckreja says their claims are rubbish. “Shah Rukh Khan cannot transfer the title directly to anyone. He has to surrender the title to IIMPA, and then it will come to me, since I am waitlisted number one,” he says. “I had registered the title with IIMPA in 1996. I had a severe attack of osteoporosis because of which I could not do anything for three years. During this time IIMPA legitimately gave the title to Shah Rukh Khan. I put myself on the waitlist, and wrote an open letter to SRK and Shankar (

Robot

director) in 2008, requesting them for the title. However, I wasn’t heard.”

The makers of

Robot

, however, express shock at the news. Hansaj Saxena, COO, Sun TV, the producer, says, “Gauri Khan of Red Chillies has officially handed it over to us. This is Asia’s biggest film, and everyone wants to make money. We’ve been shooting with Robot as the title for two years now. Was he sleeping all this while?” Shah Rukh Khan remained unavailable for comment.

Full coverage: Rajinikanth's

Endhiran