It seems that the celebration surrounding the momentous win of South Korean film Parasite in the recent Academy Awards is being put on hold after an Indian filmmaker has accused Bong Joon Ho of plagiarism.
P.L. Thenappan, who is the producer of the 1999 romantic comedy titled Minsara Kanna, claims that director Bong lifted the plot of his film for Parasite.
“I saw the South Korean film Parasite and I feel that they have stolen the film’s crux from Minsara Kanna. I’m in talks with international lawyers and contemplating on filing a case against the makers of Parasite soon,” Thenappan told India Today.
He also told TNM News in a separate interview that “[The Parasite filmmakers] have taken the plot from my film. When they find out that some of our films have been inspired by their films, they file cases. Similarly, it is only fair for us to do the same.”
However, the director of Minsara Kanna K.S. Ravikumar doesn’t seem to share the same sentiment as Thenappan. “I’m happy that the story has received an Oscar, even if [Minsara Kanna] served as an inspiration. However, filing a case is up to the producer,” he said in a statement.
CJ Entertainment, the production company behind Parasite, has already released a response regarding these claims: “We have no knowledge about plagiarism claims from an Indian film. We have not received any information regarding this issue.”
Meanwhile, director Bong has yet to respond to the allegations.
Minsara Kanna tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a woman from a wealthy family. In order to persuade her family, he disguises himself and begins working as their bodyguard while his siblings work as the housekeeper and the chef.
Parasite, released in 2019, tells the story of a poor family who infiltrate the home of a wealthy family by becoming their employees. It has gained global recognition for shining a spotlight on the gap between social classes in modern Seoul.
(ALSO READ: Trump Isn’t Pleased with ‘Parasite’s Oscars Win: ‘What The Hell Was That All About?’)
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