Madras High Court dismisses civil suit alleging Rajinikanth-starring film Enthiran’s script was stolen

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a civil suit filed by writer Aarur Tamil Nadan in 2010 claiming that the script of Rajinikant-starring film ‘Endhiran’ was stolen from a story penned by him under the title Jugiba in 1996. The civil suit had been filed against the film’s director S. Shankar and producer Kalanidhi Maran of Sun Pictures.

The Madras High Court on Thursday, June 15, 2023, dismissed a civil suit filed by writer Aarur Tamil Nadan in 2010 claiming that the script of Rajinikanth-starring film ‘Enthiran’ was stolen from a story penned by him under the title Jugiba in 1996. The civil suit had been filed against the film’s director S. Shankar and producer Kalanidhi Maran of Sun Pictures.

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Justice S. Sounthar held that he did not find any merit in the civil suit and also directed the plaintiff to pay the cost of the suit to the defendants. The verdict was delivered after a full-fledged trial during which the witnesses were examined on oath to find out the veracity of the claim that the story had been stolen by the filmmakers.

The plaintiff had sought a declaration that he was the author and first owner of the copyright of the story of ‘Enthiran’ which, according to him, was “stolen” from his original story Jugiba got published in April 1996. He had also sought damages of ₹1 crore from the director as well as the movie’s producer.

Apart from the suit, the writer had also initiated criminal proceedings against the director as well as the producer of the movie before a Metropolitan Magistrate in Chennai.