Case filed against Suriya’s Jai Bhim in Chennai under Copyright Act for alleged story theft

Suriya-starrer Tamil film Jai Bhim has landed in legal controversy after a case was registered against the director and producers of the film under the Copyright Act.

Suriya’s critically-acclaimed film Jai Bhim has landed in legal trouble again. On Wednesday, Chennai police registered an FIR against the director and producers of the movie for allegedly stealing the film’s story. The FIR was filed by a man on whom a character in the film is based, under the relevant sections of the Copyright Act, as per a report.

Suriya on the poster for Jai Bhim.

Jai Bhim is a period drama directed by TJ Gnanavel and deals with police brutality and discrimination against a marginalised community in Tamil Nadu. The film is loosely inspired by a true incident from 1993 when tribal individuals were arrested and allegedly tortured by the police. Suriya plays Advocate Chandru (based on Justice Krishnaswami Chandru), who was instrumental in getting them released.

As per a report in DT Next, the complaint against the film has been filed by V Kulanjiyappan, on whom a character in the film is based. Chennai Police registered a case after a direction from the magistrate court. In his complaint at the Sastri Nagar police station in Chennai, Kulanjiyappan has alleged that the makers of the film used his story but did not pay him any royalties, which they had allegedly promised. The report states that an FIR has been registered under Sec.63 (a) of Copyright Act against the film’s director, T J Gnanavel and the production house, 2D Entertainment.

As per the complainant, he informed the film’s team about the atrocities committed by the police in the Kammapuram police station in 1993. Kulanjiyappan claimed that Gnanavel met him at his residence in January 2019 asking for details about the 1993 incident. He claimed he was promised ₹50 lakh as royalty and also share in the profits, none of which he claims have been fulfilled till now. The complainant also alleged that the film showed his community in a bad light and that the filmmakers have economically boycotted and exploited the victims.

This isn't the first legal controversy the film has faced. Right after its release, the film was dragged to court by Vanniyar Sangam, the parent body of the Tamil Nadu-based political party PMK, for allegedly portraying the Vanniyar community in a bad light, following which the director had to apologise to the community.

Jai Bhim was released on Prime Video on November 2, 2021 and received universal acclaim from critics with praise for Suriya’s acting as well as the film’s direction and story. It was India’s official entry to the 94th Academy Awards but failed to make the shortlist.