Directed by Koratala Siva and starring Jr. NTR, ‘Devara: Part 1‘ has created a storm at the box office, becoming the biggest hit of Tarak’s career. The sea fight sequence in particular has thrilled audiences, and Koratala Siva’s creativity has been widely praised. However, there’s a growing controversy online suggesting that these were not entirely Siva’s original ideas, but rather direct copies from a Korean film. Here’s the video that’s trending as evidence.
What Actually Happened?
The introduction and interval scenes in ‘Devara’ are so dynamic that they’re bound to give anyone goosebumps. No one expected a Telugu director to execute such an elaborate action sequence at sea. The film features a scene where the hero, along with his gang, goes to a ship to steal weapons, dumping the gun-filled crates into the sea. Members of the hero’s gang, already stationed in small boats, then retrieve these crates to smuggle them past the naval officers. Yet, netizens are surprised to find a strikingly similar scene in a Korean movie, accusing director Koratala Siva of plagiarism. Audiences are mocking the director for fooling them, urging everyone to check out the Korean movie scene.
That Scene Too!
It’s known that Tarak plays a dual role in ‘Devara.’ Initially, as part of the villain’s gang, ‘Devara’ participates in smuggling for some compelling reasons but later turns good. Meanwhile, he also instills fear among his peers against smuggling. The director showcases a sequence with chairs filled with knives along the coast. However, this scene has also been accused of being copied, with claims that it closely resembles a scene from the Hollywood film ‘Vikings.’
Is the Story of Devara Also Copied?
There were extensive promotions before the release of ‘Devara’ claiming that its story was adapted from a copyrighted novel. Tamil director Shankar recently accused that he saw key scenes from his copyrighted novel being used in a film, stressing that creators should respect rights and avoid copying without permission, warning of legal actions. However, Shankar did not clarify which film he referred to. But, the buzz on social media suggests that the story of ‘Devara’ closely mirrors the Tamil novel ‘Veera Yug Nayagan,’ for which Shankar holds the rights.
Similar Accusations in the Past
This is not the first time Koratala Siva has faced plagiarism accusations. He was also heavily criticized during the release of ‘Srimanthudu‘ with Mahesh Babu. Writer Sharath Chandra even took the matter to court, claiming his story was copied. The issue had created a sensation across the Telugu states back then. In 2012, Sharath had published his story ‘Chachentha Prema’ in Swati Monthly, and while he was planning to adapt it into a film, he accused Koratala Siva of making ‘Srimanthudu’ based on his story.
