Though it has been years since he launched a legal battle against Telugu director Koratala Siva, Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu and producer Naveen for alleged copyright infringement, novelist Sarath Chandra recently asserted that he will not budge, no matter what.
Chandra reportedly moved the Nampally Criminal Court and City Civil Court in 2017 alleging that Siva’s Mahesh Babu-starrer Srimanthudu (2015) was made using key elements from his 2012 story Chachentha Prema without proper authorisation. Though the Telangana High Court dismissed the cases against Naveen and Mahesh later on, it retained the case against Siva. The director later approached the Supreme Court requesting it to strike down the case. In a major blow to the director, the apex court on Tuesday upheld the High Court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, during a chat with ABP Desam, Chandra pointed out that initially, Siva, Mahesh and Naveen didn’t respond to the notices until compelled to do so. He also lamented that Siva’s actions prevented him from realising his desire to adapt Chachentha Prema into a film.
“He is yet even to submit proof in civil court. I do not intend to compromise for money, this is my fight as a writer. Koratala needs to be punished for this, both by the court and the film industry. It’s ironic they are still making films with Koratala, Mahesh and Naveen. Where are Mohan Babu, Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan and Dil Raju now? Does no one care about writers,” Chandra questioned, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“Unlike him, I have proof of how everything from the hero-heroine characterisation to even Vennela Kishore’s role, and the storyline, names of places and companies have been ripped off my story. Koratala hasn’t even registered his story with the writer’s association. You also have to question why this case has taken seven long years. No one would fight it for this long. I will file a case against Mahesh and Naveen again because they’re responsible too,” the novelist asserted.
Meanwhile, as the legal fight intensifies, Team Srimanthudu has reportedly released an official statement addressing the creative integrity of the film. In the statement, shared by Gulte on its X (formerly Twitter) account, the team noted, “We address the discussion around Mr Koratala Siva’s Srimanthudu amidst claims of similarity to the novel Chachentha Prema. Both works, existing in the public domain, showcase distinct narratives with no overlap, a fact readily verifiable by those who examine the book and film.
“As the matter is currently under legal review, with no hearings or verdicts to date, we urge media and commentators to refrain from premature conclusions. We emphasise the importance of basing discourse on informed comparison and legal outcomes.”
Asserting that they stand firmly by the uniqueness of Srimanthudu and their core idea of adopting a village, they also welcomed those interested to personally assess the two works. “Our appeal is for patience and trust in the legal process, respecting the principles of fairness and integrity. Thank you for your understanding and support,” the team added.
Also starring Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu and Rajendra Prasad in key roles, Siva’s film was a box office hit, earning Mahesh Babu accolades as the Best Actor at both the 63rd Filmfare Awards South and the Nandi Awards, 2015.
After helming the Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan-starrer Acharya (2022), Siva is currently working on the actioner Devara: Part 1, starring NTR Jr, Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor in key roles. Mahesh Babu was last seen in Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram.
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