All You Need to Know about Mahesh Babu's Srimanthudu Copyright Case: Writer Sarath Chandra Vs Koratala Siva

 'Srimanthudu,' featuring Mahesh Babu in the lead role, finds itself embroiled in a legal dispute over copyright infringement. Earlier, writer Sarath Chandra has filed a case, asserting that Srimanthudu's storyline was lifted from his work, 'Chachenta Prema.' The Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the High Court, and the makers of the film affirm the uniqueness and state that everyone is open to compare both the works.

Going into details, the ongoing tussle between novelist Sarath Chandra and director Koratala Shiva has persisted for seven years. In a recent turn of events, Koratala Shiva's request to terminate the copyright infringement case in the Supreme Court was turned down by the SC, upholding the Telangana HC's decision on Tuesday. Koratala Shiva's directorial and Mythri movie makers' debut project ‘Srimanthudu’, starring Mahesh Babu, Shruti Hassan, and Jagapati Babu, was released in 2015.

It was a blockbuster success and rewrote many Tollywood records. At that time, novelist RD Wilson, also known as Sarath Chandra, filed a case against the blockbuster movie, accusing it of plagiarism. He alleged that 'Srimanthudu' is an exact copy of his story ‘Chachentha Prema,’ published in Swathi magazine in 2012. The case was registered in Nampally Criminal Court and City Civil Court in 2017 against hero Mahesh Babu, producer Naveen, and director Koratala Shiva. Later, cases against the hero and producers were quashed in court, but fate was not the same for Koratala. Almost a decade later, the case is still ongoing, and the petition to strike out the case against him was denied by the SC on Tuesday. Presently, Mythri Movies released a statement indicating that they stand by their claim, asserting that the film is not a copy.

The statement read, "Both works, existing in the public domain, showcase distinct narratives with no overlap, a fact readily verifiable by those who examine the book and film." They have also requested the media and commentators to refrain from premature conclusions and appealed for patience and trust in the legal process. Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Sarath Chandra commented that he's not pursuing this for money but rather for his deserved recognition as the writer of the film. He alleged that Koratala Shiva stole his story point by point and that he'll hold him responsible for this in court. Koratala Shiva, busy with the high-budget movie 'Devara,' is stuck in this legal battle of plagiarism. Now, fans are becoming agitated as Koratala Shiva's directorial 'Devara' with big stars like Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan, and Janhvi Kapoor could be affected by this new development.