Suriya’s Jai Bhim appears to be in more trouble. This critically praised legal drama has found itself in yet another legal quagmire. The Chennai Police Department recently filed an FIR against the film’s director, T. J. Gnanavel, and producers Jyothika and Suriya for allegedly stealing the story. According to sources, a man who inspired the main character in the film filed a complaint under the Copyright Act.
The complainant claims that the makers of Jai Bhim utilized his tale but did not pay him royalties as promised. Previously, the courtroom drama sparked outrage for allegedly hurting the sensibilities of the Vanniyar people. After several months of legal struggle, the Madras High Court finally dismissed the FIR against Jai Bhim, Suriya, Jyothika, and director TJ Gnanavel a few days ago.
This isn’t the first legal battle the picture has encountered. The film was taken to court shortly after its release by Vanniyar Sangam, the parent body of the Tamil Nadu-based political party PMK, for allegedly presenting the Vanniyar group in a negative light, and the director was forced to apologize to the community. For the uninitiated, the Vanniyar Sangam submitted a legal complaint demanding an apology for portraying the Vanniyar group negatively in Jai Bhim. They demanded the removal of certain segments from the film, as well as Rs 5 crore in compensation.
Jai Bhim tells the story of prejudice against a marginalized tribe in Tamil Nadu, and the plot is based on a factual incident from 1993 in which some tribal people were imprisoned and allegedly tortured by the police. Suriya plays Advocate Chandru, who fights their case in court and assists in their release. Suriya is joined by Lijomol Jose, Manikandan, Rajisha Vijayan, Prakash Raj, and Rao Ramesh in crucial parts in the movie.
