Court Asks ‘Kaala’ Director to Respond to Plagiarism Charges

Filmmaker Rajashekhar has alleged that he had narrated the story to Rajini in 1995.

Film ‘Kaala’ Poster (Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Rajini starrer Kaala Karikalan has run into trouble. A city civil court on Thursday has ordered director Pa Ranjith to respond to allegations of plagiarism filed by another filmmaker Rajashekhar by 15 June.

The case came up for hearing on Thursday at the city civil court in Chennai and was heard by magistrate Tamilarasi. The petitioner, who hails from Perur, has asked filmmaker Pa Ranjith to stop shooting the movie.

Rajashekhar has claimed in his petition that Kaala Karikalan is the title of his movie and that he had planned to make it with Rajinikanth years ago. He alleged that in 1995, he had narrated the story to Rajinikanth at his residence and that the superstar had then taken a picture with him and promised to do the movie later.

He said that in 2011, the movie got funding from Silver Line Film Factory and that the work was about to start with Chiyaan Vikram as the lead actor. However, the film ran into legal problems and didn't take off.

Rajashekhar has also filed a complaint to the Commissioner of Police requesting that the latter take action against the makers of the movie.

Kaala is directed by Pa Ranjith, who had also made the Rajinikanth starrer Kabali. This time around, the director has made a gangster story for the superstar and he will be seen playing the role of a Mumbai-based don Karikalan.

Kaala has an impressive star cast, including veterans like Nana Patekar and Samuthirakani. Huma Qureshi and Anjali Patil have been roped in to play the female leads. Others who have been signed for important roles include Sukanya and Eswari Rao.

(This article was first published in The News Minute)