Madras HC refuses to stay Bigil release; allows petitioner KP Selvah to file a fresh case for copyright infringement

The long-drawn plagiarism issue surrounding Vijay's upcoming film, Bigil, came to a close today, albeit temporarily. While the Madras High Court refused to stay the release of Bigil, which is slated to hit screens this Friday, it cleared the path for petitioner KP Selvah, an aspiring director, to file a case for copyright infringement in the appropriate courts.

While for now there is no hindrance for Bigil's release as planned, Selvah might file for an injunction in the civil courts tomorrow or Thursday. It will surely be a tense couple of days ahead for the makers of Bigil.  

Incidentally, this is not the only plagiarism charge levied against director Atlee's third film with Vijay. According to reports, filmmaker Meeraan claims that Bigil is based on his story, which he had registered back in 2015. He has now filed a complaint against the makers with the Tamil Film Producers Council.

Such allegations are not just restricted to Tamil Nadu, with Bigil facing tough times in Andhra too after director Nandi Chinni Kumar claimed that his film, based on the life of real-life football player Akhilesh Paul, and tentatively called Slum Soccer, bears major resemblances to Bigil. He further says that his script was registered with the Telangana Cinema Writers Association, and a complaint has been lodged with that body.

Troubles of this sort seem to be a recurring theme in Vijay's career in recent times. If Thalaivaa ran into hot water for its perceived political content, Thuppaaki faced the wrath of few sections of the Muslim community, who claimed the film portrayed them in a bad light. Sarkar, which was released last Deepavali, also faced plagiarism charges which got resolved after a 'Thank You' card was displayed for filmmaker Varun Rajendran, who had filed the case.

Bigil, which is slated for a release this Friday (October 25) also stars Nayanthara, Yogi Babu, Jackie Shroff, and Kathir.