The controversy over Rajinikanth’s forthcoming film Lingaa took a stunning turn on Wednesday with the actor stating that both the script and screenplay for the movie had been penned by Chennai-based writer S. Ponkumaran. This runs contrary to the claim made by the film’s director K.S. Ravikumar on Tuesday that it was he who wrote the screenplay for the basic storyline of Mr. Ponkumaran.
Filing a counter affidavit in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, in reply to a writ petition alleging theft of the story, Mr. Rajinikanth said: “I wish to assert that the story and screenplay in the movie titled ‘Lingaa’ was written and created by the eighth respondent (Mr. Ponkumaran) herein and has nothing to do with the petitioner’s story as claimed by him.”
On the contrary, Mr. Ravikumar, in his counter affidavit, had claimed: “Though the basic story line of the eighth respondent (Mr. Ponkumaran) has been taken for this film, the screenplay has been done by me and several other original elements have been added to it… It is beyond one’s common sense as to how the petitioner has come to the conclusion that the story of ‘Lingaa’ is allegedly same as his story.”
It was K.R. Ravi Rathinam, an aspiring film-maker from Madurai, who had filed the writ petition last week accusing the makers of ‘Lingaa’ of having stolen a script written by him based on the life of Colonel John Pennycuick, a British engineer behind the construction of the Mullaperiyar dam, for a movie titled ‘Mullai 999.’ He alleged that the script was stolen after he uploaded it on ‘YouTube’ last year.
Denying the allegation, Mr. Rajinikanth said: “As regards the petitioner’s reference to Pennycuick, Mullaperiyar and the subject of nationalisation of rivers and rivulets, I respectfully state that there are umpteen stories and articles revolving the same and the petitioner apparently seems to have erroneously concluded that he has a copyright over such a topic.”
He also stated that as per the “custom and practice followed in the film industry, a person claiming that the copyright of a story authored by him has been infringed should show that at least 13 continuous scenes shot in a feature film are similar to the story claimed to have been authored by him. A bare reading of the affidavit filed by the petitioner does not disclose such an allegation.”
Further taking strong exception to the petitioner having described him as a distributor of the movie, Mr. Rajinikanth said it was a blatant lie. “The name, fame and repute enjoyed by me worldwide have been tarnished as if the film ‘Lingaa’ is a product of a copy-cat. I have been roped into unnecessary controversy. I hereby reserve my right to proceed against the petitioner for damages,” he added.
