'Gram Chikitsalay': Kolkata filmmaker accuses Vinay Pathak of plagiarism
What's the story
Just days before its release, the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series, Gram Chikitsalay, has landed in plagiarism allegations.
The series' lead actor, Vinay Pathak, has been accused by Kolkata-based filmmaker Anindyabikas Datta of plagiarizing his original script, Quack Shankar.
Datta, a registered member of the Screenwriters Association (SWA), took to Facebook to express his concerns, alleging that Gram Chikitsalay closely mirrors his script, which he shared with Pathak in 2021.
Script details
Datta's script was shared with Pathak in 2021
Datta's post revealed he approached Pathak for a lead in Quack Shankar and shared the full script and details.
While Pathak was interested, the talks didn't progress. But years later, Datta was shocked to see a trailer for Gram Chikitsalay, featuring what he claims is his story.
He wrote, "I am a writer/filmmaker and a member of SWA. An incident of copyright/IP rights violation has happened with one of my registered screenplays—QUACK SHANKAR."
Supporting evidence
Datta shared evidence to support his plagiarism claims
To back his plagiarism claims, Datta had shared screenshots of past conversations with Pathak. He said that his project is still in pre-production and that he has already spent a lot of time and money on it.
The trailer of Gram Chikitsalay, produced by The Viral Fever (TVF), was released in April. The series is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Friday.
Series synopsis
'Gram Chikitsalay' is a rural medical drama
Gram Chikitsalay, a rural medical drama with a dash of humor and heart, stars Pathak and Amol Parashar.
The series revolves around Dr. Prabhat, a city doctor who shifts to a rural health center, dealing with quirky patients and village problems.
The show promises to deliver another heartwarming story from India's rural heartland after the blockbuster series Panchayat.
Created by Deepak Kumar Mishra, the series is written by Vaibhav Suman and Shreya Shrivastava and directed by Rahul Pandey.
Concerns raised
Datta expressed concern over potential copyright infringement
Meanwhile, Datta shared his concerns about the possible copyright infringement through his Facebook post. He wrote, "So much effort has gone into this. Now this act of copying threatens everything."
He has called for urgent action to safeguard his intellectual property rights.
As of now, neither Pathak nor the Gram Chikitsalay team has officially responded to the allegations.