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Largo Winch director to sue Pawan Kalyan’s Agnyaathavaasi for plagiarism?
Director of the French film Largo Winch has threated to take action against the makers of Pawan Kalyan’s Telugu release, Agnyaathavaasi.
Pawan Kalyan’s Agnyaathavaasi failed to impress the audience and critics alike, and while the film is struggling to recover the cost, director of French film Largo Winch, Jérôme Salle, seems to have decided on suing the filmmakers for plagiarism.
Initially, Agnyaathavaasi makers were sued by T-Series who originally held the rights to remake the French film. A legal notice was sent and both the parties came to an understanding after a settlement. But after watching the film, Jérôme Salle believes that the settlement with T-Series is not enough, especially since the movie has been released worldwide.
Jérôme watched the movie on January 9, and tweeted, “Screening at #LeBrady tonight. Great atmosphere thanks to the audience. I could’ve loved the movie but unfortunately the plot was too familiar. #LargoWinch #Agnyaathavaasi.”
On January 10, the director quoted many media reports that noted how director Trivikram Srinivas had not just used the plot line of Largo Winch, but had also lifted scenes from the film. He wrote, “I’m afraid a settlement with T-series will not be enough. It’s not only about India. The movie #Agnyaathavaasi has been released worldwide yesterday.”
He then tweeted again on January 18 and said, “Indian cinema has all the necessary talent and creativity for not having to plagiarize. And the silence from #Agnathavaasi team since one week is deafening. So let’s take action now. #LegalNotice.”
Did the director make good on his threat? It is unclear. It now depends on how seriously he pursues the legal charge. So far, there hasn’t been an injunction on the film to stop screening at international centres, and Agnyaathavaasi is inching towards closing its second week. It has to be seen if the makers of the Telugu film and Largo Winch will come to terms outside of court.
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