Actor Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming Netflix film Gandhari made headlines for the wrong reasons recently. Reportedly, a Mumbai-based writer, Raghav Desai, had accused to makers of plagiarism, and the rumours went viral on the internet. However, Kathha Pictures, the production house backing the film, has now released an official statement, denying the plagiarism claims and stating that its an original work by writer-producer Kanika Dhillon.

Taking to their Instagram handle, the production house wrote, “Our attention has been drawn to allegations circulating on social media and in certain publications to the effect that our forthcoming film “Gandhari” copies another person’s concept and uses that person’s title.”

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It further read, “These allegations are false, and we deny them unequivocally. “Gandhari” is an original work, written and produced by Ms Kanika Dhillon and developed by Kathha Pictures. Its story and screenplay are Ms Dhillon’s own work.”

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They requested the media to consider the accusations false and avoid using any such information. “We request the media, digital platforms and members of the public to treat these allegations as what they are, namely unverified and false, and to refrain from publishing, circulating or repeating them as established fact,” the statement concluded.

Earlier, the writer claimed that he had pitched a similar script to the makers in 2024. Desai alleged that the script was copied from his original and is being used under the name of Kanika Dhillon. The upcoming action-thriller drama is inspired by the themes of Mahabharata. It follows the story of a mother, who is looking for her missing daughter in a fictional town.

About Gandhari

Helmed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, Gandhari features Taapsee Pannu in the lead role, alongside Ishwak Singh. The film marks Taapsee and Kanika’s sixth collaboration after Manmarziyaan (2018), Haseen Dillruba (2021), Rashmi Rocket (2021), Dunki (2023) and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024). It is set to premiere on Netflix on September 3.