Akshay Kumar starrer “Pad Man” is getting good reviews and has got a good opening at the box-office.
However, the movie is also facing legal trouble as a young writer has filed a complaint of plagiarism against the film’s producers and the lead actor Akshay Kumar. The name of the writer is Ripu Daman Jaiswal and he claims that the makers of “Pad Man” have copied the story from his draft which he has sent to Dharma Productions.
Ripu took to social networking site and posted screenshots of the emails sent by him to Ryan Stephen at Dharma Productions. These screenshots were shared by him after he watched the trailer last year on December 20.
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He shared these screenshots on Facebook and wrote,
“You guys, I need help.
One and a half years ago, I had written and registered a film based on the works of Arunachalam Muruganantham and Saati biodegradable sanitary pads. Have you heard about them? Yup, Arunachalam Muruganantham is the guy who had made low cost sanitary pads for rural women. I had registered the film on 5th of December 2016 from SCREEN WRITER ASSOCIATION and sent to Ryan Stephan (Karan johar’s production — Creative head) and personally to Vikram Aditya Motwane.
And you know what happened? After ten days on 16th of December 2016, I heard the news that Mrs. Twinkle Khanna revealed that her production is making a film based on his life, starring AKSHAY KUMAR.
I was completely devastated but I couldn’t have point the allegation at that time because Twinkle Khanna has said that they were making a film on his life. And I hadn’t written a film on his life. Not even a single scene has been inspired by his own life. I have taken the subject and created my own fictional world around that subject. At first, I started writing a film on his life but then I quit because during my research, I discovered that Arunachalam doesn’t make ‘biodegradable’ sanitary pads and he utilize machine to make sanitary pads which rural women can’t make by themselves – also, I had a fear that producers won’t accept a film based on his life because what he developed has already been developed by MIT students before him. I thought I should be honest while writing a biopic and if I can’t be honest I shouldn’t write it. I have tacked together several issues women face in rural india and it would have gone in vain in an honest biopic.
Recently, the PADMAN trailer released, and most of the scenes has been taken from the summary I had sent to MR. Ryan stephan. Yes, they even copied my fictional scenes(Check out the Rakshabandan scene. In real life, Arunachalam Muruganantham has no sister.)
I have decided to take this matter to court and fight a battle against the producers of the film.
Guys, I am looking for a good lawyer in Bombay who can fight along with me. I have no money in my pocket to hire a famous lawyer but I promise to pay a heavy amount after I win this battle.
If you know anyone, please connect with me. ASAP.
For Proof, I am attaching the screenshot of the summary I sent to Ryan Stephen of Dharma production.”
Ripu said that he is looking for a good lawyer and although he doesn’t have money to pay him now, he will definitely pay a good amount after winning the case.
Ripu also talked about the similarities that his story and the trailer have. For example, there is a scene in the trailer in which Akshay gives sanitary napkin to his sister like it is written by Ripu in his draft but in reality, Arunachalum Murugunatham doesn’t have a sister.
You have to give your life to get justice in india. That’s when they take you seriously. That’s the only way left.
— Ripu Daman Jaiswal (@Shivashorcrux) January 20, 2018
Ripu told Tribune,
“The similarities are not only based on the concept but also my fictional scenes. If you see the trailer, there’s a scene where Akshay Kumar gives the sanitary pad to his sister – that’s my fictional scene; something I created out of the figment of my imagination. In reality, Murugunatham does not have a sister. So, if you are writing a film based on his life, how can you use fictional scenes which have previously been registered by me?”
He further said,
“There are also similarities within the plot. In my script, the lead character’s wife falls pregnant and due to some complications, she has to be taken to the hospital. I saw that same scene in the making of Pad Man online.”
Intermission of PadMan. 11 scenes has been copied from my script uptil now and even one of the character. That’s it. I am definitely going to court.
— Ripu Daman Jaiswal (@Shivashorcrux) February 9, 2018
I remember I was in the library when I wrote this dialogue and was truly elated. Honestly, I surprised myself that day. Tell me, how on earth can you steal someone’s dialogue?
This is unfair.(Amitabh Bachchan quoted this dialogue in PadMan.) pic.twitter.com/9mQN3Jlt8T
— Ripu Daman Jaiswal (@Shivashorcrux) February 10, 2018
He also talked about the differences between his draft and the story of “Pad Man”. In his words,
“The Sonam Kapoor character in my plot is a journalist, I think that’s the only thing they have changed and made her a medical student or something.”
He also told that the association has denied his claim saying that he doesn’t has much evidences to prove his claim. What’s more, he is still not being contacted by anyone from the police station where he filed the complaint. He said,
“The senior police inspector told me that they will do an investigation and will revert back to me via phone call. I am still waiting for that call.”
Let’s hope that the matter gets sorted out as soon as possible.