Gandhari makers deny copyright claims amid allegations of script similarities

Taapsee Pannu's upcoming project 'Gandhari' is caught in a legal stir as writer Kalyan Bandi accuses the film of plagiarizing his registered narrative from 2019. Despite the claims, Kathha Pictures has defended the originality of 'Gandhari,' emphasizing that it was conceived by Kanika Dhillon. The film is eagerly awaited on Netflix, scheduled for release on September 3, amidst these copyright concerns.

The makers of Taapsee Pannu-starrer Gandhari have issued a clarification after allegations surfaced that the upcoming film was based on someone else's idea. According to reports, Mumbai-based writer Raghav Desai claimed that he had pitched a similar script to the makers in 2024. He allegedly accused the team of using his idea under the name of writer and producer Kanika Dhillon.Writer-producer Kanika Dhillon's Kathha Pictures has now rejected the allegations and maintained that Gandhari is an original project. The production house addressed the matter through a statement shared on social media."Our attention has been drawn to allegations circulating on social media and in certain publications to the effect that our forthcoming film Gandhari copies another person’s concept and uses that person’s title," the statement read. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kathha Pictures (@kathhapictures)It further said, "These allegations are false, and we deny them unequivocally. Gandhari is an original work, written and produced by Ms. Kanika Dhillon and developed by Kathha Pictures. Its story and screenplay are Ms Dhillon's own work."Kathha Pictures also urged people not to treat the allegations as established facts. The production house added, "We request the media, digital platforms and members of the public to treat these allegations as what they are, namely unverified and false, and to refrain from publishing, circulating or repeating them as established fact." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kathha Pictures (@kathhapictures)Taapsee and Kanika reunite for GandhariDirected by Devashish Makhija, Gandhari has been written and produced by Kanika, with Taapsee playing the lead role. The film marks the sixth collaboration between Taapsee and Kanika.The duo has previously worked together on Manmarziyaan (2018), Haseen Dillruba (2021), Rashmi Rocket (2021), Dunki (2023) and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kathha Pictures (@kathhapictures)Gandhari is positioned as an intense action thriller centred on a mother driven by revenge. The film is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 3.