SRK's RA.One faces plagiarism lawsuit

RA.One, the ambitious Diwali offering by SRK, has been dragged to the Bombay High Court for alleged plagiarism by a television producer-writer. He has sought a stay to its release, until he is given credit. He wants 10% of the profits of the film, if he is not given credit.

RA.One, the ambitious Diwali offering by Shah Rukh Khan, has been dragged to the Bombay High Court for alleged plagiarism by a television producer-writer.

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Yash Patnaik claimed that he is the copyright owner of the concept and the content of RA.One, produced by Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.

He has sought a stay to its release, until he is given credit. He wants 10% of the profits of the film, if he is not given credit.

Patnaik's lawyer Ravindra Kadam argued that the superhero played by Khan in the film, slated for release on October 26, resembles the hero in Patnaik's 2006 concept.

"The super-villain in Patnaik's script was called 'One' and that has been copied by Khan in the title of the film," Kadam said.

Shah Rukh lawyer Virendra Tulzapurkar said Patnaik could not claim copyright on the concept, as Patnaik had developed it with a team of experts that he had engaged.

Janak Dwarkadas, appearing for the distributors Eros Entertainment, argued that Eros had acquired world distribution rights at Rs 150 crore, and had already started transporting copies of the print to theatres.

According to Patnaik, he had discussed the concept with the film's script writer Mushtaq Sheikh in 2006.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi would pass its order on Friday.