Ripu Daman Jaiswal, a writer in Mumbai, has alleged that large parts of Akshay Kumar-starrer PadMan have been plagiarised from his script. Jaiswal had tweeted that 11 scenes from the film were copied from his script based on Arunachalam Muruganantham’s life.
He also posted a screenshot of a dialogue from his script, which he claims has been used by Amitabh Bachchan in PadMan.
Speaking to The Quint, Jaiswal says that he has filed a police complaint in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade police station against the makers of PadMan - Sony Pictures India Limited, Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna and R Balki.
So have you filed an FIR or a police complaint yet?
Yes, I had filed a police complaint on 23rd of January 2018. I had personally gone to the SI’s office and gave my script’s copy and the copy of summary I sent to Mr Ryan Stephen at Dharma Productions.
What was the outcome?
No action has been taken yet. The SI told me they will investigate and will revert back via phone call. No one called me yet.
Have you approached the producer of PadMan Twinkle Khanna directly about it yet?
No, not directly. I had sent it to to Ryan and personally to Vikram Aditya Motwane sir.
Any response from them?
Yes. Vikram sir responded to me, but not Ryan.
What did he say?
He said that the script is in the public domain, anyone can make a film based on Arunachalam’s life. I agreed with him. The film was in the public domain, anyone can make a film on his life. Having said that, you can’t copy scenes and dialogues that has been created out of the figment of my imagination.
Tell us 5 scenes which you claim are copied from your script in PadMan.
The medical college scene
The Rakshabandhan scene
The cycle scene
The scene where the character gives his sister a pad.
The kirana store scene.
What are you planning to do next?
I am writing to the CM of Maharashtra. I don’t have money to hire a lawyer, if I am able to arrange the money, I would definitely like to go to court and ask for justice.
(This is a developing story and will be updated when we get a response from the makers of PadMan.)
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