Version 1: A father whose wife left him has to raise his kid by himself
Version 2: A mother whose husband was killed has to raise her kid by herself
Version 1: The father and son live in a rented apartment
Version 2: The mother and daughter live in a rented house
Version 1: Father is broke, without money and a job
Version 2: Mother is broke, without money and a job
Version 1: The dad skips paying rent each month and tries to escape the landlord
Version 2: Mom does the same.
Version 1: On returning one day, they find that their house has a new door-lock put by the landlord
Version 2: Same as above
Version 1: With the small luggage they have, the dad and son spend a day in the park and the night in a railway station.
Version 2: The mom and daughter do the same.
Version 1: When they try to spend a night in the railway station toilet, people knock on the door outside and the dad struggles to not let his son know what is happening.
Version 2: When they try to take a bathe in the railway station toilet, people knock on the door outside and the mom struggles to not let the daughter know what is happening.
Version 1: The dad tries the best to make it seem like they are playing a game.
Version 2: Mom does the same.
Version 1: The dad’s last hope for money, a medical device, is being stolen.
Version 2: Mom’s last bills of money that she gets after selling the gold ornaments, is being stolen.
Version 1: Dad donates blood in a hospital for money.
Version 2: Mom does the same.
Version 1: The dad takes a cab drive, but has no money to pay, so asks the driver to drive even more, finally when the cab stops the parent runs away as he has no money to pay.
Version 2: Mom does the same, except that here it is an auto rickshaw, not a cab.
Version 1: The dad applies for an internship at a big-wig stock broking company and finally gets it which puts the end to their financial mysery.
Version 2: The mom completes her MBBS and gets a job in Kuwait which will put an end to their financial mysery.
By now, you all would have guessed it right that with version 1, I was referring to the 2006 movie “Pursuit of Happyness” which has an amazing performance by Will Smith that brought him an academy award nomination for the best performance in a lead role. Version 2 is a Malayalam movie that runs in packed houses across Kerala now. The movie name is “Kadha Thudarunnu” and is directed by the much celebrated director Sathyan Anthikkad.
Sathyan is talking to the media, in the TV etc, as if he’s just re-invented the Malayalam cinema whereas it seems to be just a copy of a beautiful Hollywood movie. He even lifted some of the story events scene-by-scene from the original movie, added a bit of his usual “social message” thingy, some Kerala touch here and there and made his movie. I think the writers of the Hollywood movie should sue Sathyan for millions of dollars so that it will teach a lesson to the copy-cats in our movie industry.
This is not a first time that pioneers (?) like Sreenivasan and Sathyan Anthikkad have been accused of plagiarism. But we have always ignored it, thinking how it is possible that the people of their stature and ‘calibre’ can do such a shameful thing. Only when the director combo Siddique Lal became massively popular and accused Sathyan Anthikkad for not giving them credits for the storyline of the movie “Naadodikkaattu” that we seriously gave it a thought. When numerous other people came out in open against Sathyan and Sreenivasan we did not give it a damn as those people were not known names. Siddique Lal was lucky that their talent got the deserving recognition so their words became credible to the public. What about the other unlucky souls?
When a good friend of mine emailed me about the parallel story line of both the movies, I brushed it away. I thought it is a generic response and kind of a popular trend these days to ‘investigate’ the original versions of a movie. But then I watched Kadha Thudarunnu on last Sunday and I was totally stunned. I don’t know what Sathyan was thinking. In the old days, this trick would have worked because very few people watched or had access to Hollywood movies but to do it in these days Sathyam Anthikkad must have had some guts. Or he is seriously insulting the Malayalees as a society that it doesn’t have exposure to cinema outside India. Whichever way it is, it is a crime and I wonder why nobody in the media is talking about it except for one or two TV channels.
PS: Another movie which is “written” by actor-writer Sreenivasan, has Mohan Lal in the lead and marks the entry of singer M G Sreekumar as a music director, has been ordered to stay its release by a court order. The movie was scheduled to release in the second week of May.
The stay was given, following a complaint from K Vijayan from Mukkam, accusing senior actor and scriptwriter Sreenivasan to have lifted his story and used the same for ‘Oru Naal Varum’. Vijayan says that he has met Sreeni once with this story who dismissed it as a naive one with no big comedies. Later Vijayan published the same in the title ‘Ee Kaliveedil Ninnu’ in a popular magazine. Sreenivasan was not available to respond of this new accusation. [via]
As usual, the tactic of both Sathyan Anthikkad and Sreenivasan to face these allegations is to say that “this doesn’t deserve a response” or “these people do it just for fame“(?). So much to our great, ‘creative‘ souls.
Didnt realize that these “greats” were also plagiarizing. They could at least ahve claimed to be “inspired” by the movie.
ah ! I dont want to watch it, as this would be an insult to the original as well !!
Guess its high time our movie companies (Bollywood) learn a thing or two about creativity !!
Styan and Srini are nothing in front of our plagiarism guru Priyadarshan .His almost all movies seems to copy paste of some or other movie .When he was out of stock in Malayalam .He continued the same trick in Hindi copying Malayalam flicks. At least Satayan’s movies are at least watch able Priyadarshan makes it so comic tragedy. Even though Nadodikkatu and Boeing Boeing(again copied from same name Hollywood movie) if you watch it today Boeing Boeing makes you cry .It not just the copy pasting director should have some talent also. And Copying West is something we all do including and successful example is communist China .Copying is noting new to malayam cenima
1. Manju Poloru Penkutty (2004) copied from Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000)
2. Malootty (1992) copied from Everybody’s Baby (1989)
3. Sasneham Sumithra (2004) copied from Rebecca (1940)
4. Mookkilla Rajyathu (1991) copied from The Dream Team (1989)
5. Balu Mahendra’s Olangal (1982) copied from Man, Woman and Child (1980) (novel by Erich Segal)
6. Oru Maravathoor Kanavu (1998) partially inspired from Jean de Florette (1986)
7. Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri (2007) inspired (Kavya’s murder) from Agatha Christie’s Elephants Can Remember (1972)
1. Udayananu Tharam (2005) copied from Bowfinger (1999)
1. Nirnayam (1995) copied from The Fugitive (1993)
2. Bhargava Charitham Moonam Khandam (2006) copied from Analyse This (1999)
3. Police (2005) copied from Tango & Cash (1989)
4. Thooval Sparsham (1990) copied from Three Men and a Baby (1987)
5. James Bond (1999) copied from Baby’s Day Out (1994)
6. Thalavattom (1986) copied from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
1. Pachakuthira (2006) copied from Rain Man (1988)
2. Kakkakuyil (2001) copied TO Golmaal (2006)
3. Chandralekha (1997) copied TO Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (2000)
4. Summer in Bethlahem (1998) copied TO Lesa Lesa (2002)
5. Junior Senior (2005) inspired from Yes Boss (1997)
6. Shivam (2003) inspired from Shool (1999)
1. Thuruppu Gulan (2006) partially copied from Dulhe Raja (1998)
2. Boeing Boeing (1985) copied from Boeing Boeing (1965)
3. Vadakkumnathan (2006) partly inspired from A Beautiful Mind (2001)
1. Cheppu (1987) copied from Class of 1984 (1982)
2. Akashadoothu (1993) copied from Who Will Love My Children? (1983)
1. Hridayathil Sookshikkan (2005) copied from Meet The Parents (2000)
1. Mukundetta Sumithra Vilikkunnu (1988) copied from Katha (1983)
2. Alakadalinakkare (1984) copied from Vidhaata (1982)
3. Mr. Butler (2000) copied from Gopala Gopala (1996)
4. Sreekrishnapurathu Nakshathrathilakkam (1998) copied from Theen Bahuraniyan (1968)
1. Kakkakuyil (2001) copied from A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
2. Kaliyattom (1997) inspired from Shakespeare’s Othello
3. Vettom (2004) copied from French Kiss (1995)
1. Nayattu (1980) copied from Zanjeer (1973)
2. Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999) copied TO Waqt (2005)
3. Ee Shabdam innathe Shabdam (1985) copied from Death Wish (1974)
4. Yodha (1992) copied from Golden Child (1986)
5. Olympiyan Anthony Adam (1999) copied from Kindergarten Cop (1990)
6. Pattabhishekam (1999) copied from Larger Than Life (1996)
7. Padayottam (1982) copied from Alexander Dumas’s epic novel The Count of Monte Cristo
8. New Delhi (1987) inspired from Irving Wallace’s novel The Almighty
9. Rajavinte Makan (1986) inspired from Sidney Sheldon’s novel Rage of Angels
1. Uncle Bun (1991) copied from Uncle Buck (1989)
1. Classmates (2006) inspired from A Wedding in December (2005) (novel by Anita Shreve)
1. Ramji Rao Speaking (1989) copied from See the Man Run (1971)
1. Hello My Dear Wrong Number (1986) copied from North by Northwest (1959)
1. Mannar Mathai Speaking (1995) copied from Vertigo (1958)
2. Vyooham (1990) copied from Lethal Weapon (1987)
3. Chitrashalabham (1998) copied from Anand (1971)
4. Simhavalan Menon (1995) copied from Gol Maal (1979)
1. Kauthuka Varthakal (1990) copied from Worth Winning (1989)
2. Meghamalhar (2001) copied from Brief Encounter (1945)
Even this list is COPY paste
Wow Saju! That’s some list!!
Even Resent Gulumal is copied from Hindi Bluffmaster That also should be from some Hollywood flick definilty.The worst thing is that directors talk as if they are Spielberg people are fools sitting here .And the truth is majority are.
Saju, I read that Gulumaal is a copy of Spanish movie Nine Lives, which puts another question about where did Bluffmaster come from.
I don’t think Vadakkumnathan is inspired from Beautiful Mind. While the former deals around Schizophrenia, the latter goes about a form of depression. I had a close friend who had fought and finally gave up his life due to depression and while I watched the film I could relate to many scenes and Mohan Lal has brought life to the character (especially the moments where he couldn’t control the anger is an example). So I will rule out the possibility of the movie being inspired.
Also, director Jayaraj has officially announced that Kaliyattom is a Malayalam adaptation of Othello and he did a masterful job in bringing the Theyyam perspective and make it totally a local story (Hindi movie Omkara was also officially announced to be an adaptation of Othello).
Have you seen this ? Another similar incident
Yeah, saw that. Perhaps some of the events are inspired by his novel but it is more close to Pursuit of Happyness.
One correction: ‘Gulumaal’ and Bluffmaster are copied from ‘Nine Queens’, not ‘Nine Lives’. Gulumaal is a more ‘faithful’ copy, though Bluffmaster was also a good adaptation.
I think adapting well is an art. Seriously.
Thanks for the correction Sudeep. Adapting well is a ‘masterful trick’; I wouldn’t call that art.
I was talking about the adaptations that don’t admit that it is adapted from an original movie. The others like Omkara or Kaliyattam, I would agree with you.
Shocked to know Sathyan Anthikad did this stupid thing. Can a consumer sue him for cheat?
Atk
So much for creativity…
What the heck about intellectual property rights?
The pirates in the film industry…!!!!!
Good article, hope someone forward the article to the guys who made the original movie and sue them to stone age.
It looks like sreenivaasan is good in lifting movies and never giving credit to other people.
Anyways, Keep blogging until someone notice this and do something about it.
BTW, heard your song and its good, i thought you started off well and lost your concentration for a bit towards the middle..
Also i wonder what the 2nd MGR comment you deleted on post was about. Just curious and also i think you should remove the MGR address info from your blog. Yes he gave the address but i think you as the admin should respect his families privacy.
SgK: That is a blogspot blog and they don’t allow me to edit the comment.
And the second was not deleted by myself. It was deleted by the author. Don’t know what that was. Perhaps it was to avoid duplication of comments.
“marks the entry of singer M G Sreekumar as a music director”
I think Chathurangam was his first movie as a composer and there are couple of other movies as well..
Oh okay. I just searched and you are right. Chathurangam songs were composed by MGS.
I watched Padayottam again today. The movie clearly credits Alexander Dumas for the story. I don’t think “copy” is accurate. “Adaptation” (with proper crediting, no less) is more appropriate.
Jo, I have tried to explain why I think copying in itself is not so bad (and also why Sathyan Anthikkad irritates me of late, copy or no copy). The Art of Copying, Sathyan Anthikkad and Values.
eda pule avaronu jeevichoteda
[...] release by a court order. The movie was scheduled to release in the second week of May. from : The story never ends… | Just Jo __________________ FK Noushu ippol [...]
I spotted the copy when I saw the movie. There was also a dangerous element of showing Muslims as some kind of force that can subvert laws. For example, no law in India will allow grandparents custody of child on religious grounds. I felt that was a very dangerous message in the movie.
Hey after bag stolen,
Version 1: Father has no money to pay the taxi, so he tells the fellow to keep driving, abruptly gets off, chase ensues, father eludes taxi driver.
Version 2: Mother has no money to pay the auto, so she tells the fellow to keep driving, abruptly gets off, chase ensues, mother eludes taxi driver.
correction, last words “auto driver”
sorry never mind, its already there at the end… sorry.. [senti]