Whenever director Atlee releases a film, he gets called out for being unoriginal.
This criticism has been levelled against him since his debut Tamil film Raja Rani (2013), which some called a modern rehash of Mani Ratnam’s classic Mouna Ragam (1986).
His second film, Theri (2016), was considered similar to the Rajinikanth 1995 blockbuster Baashha, as well as other films.
Mersal (2017) and Bigil (2019) also faced similar complaints.
Recently, Jawan, one of the biggest hits of 2023, starring Shah Rukh Khan in a double role, was trolled for being a mixture of Tamil films such as Thaai Naadu (1989), Anniyan (2005), Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (1985), and Ramana (2002).
In a recent interview with a YouTube channel, Atlee, whose original name is Arun Kumar, addressed the accusations.
Said the 40-year-old: “In the creative field, you end up making similar stories. That doesn’t mean I copy it; it can be inspired by (other movies).
“I was inspired by MGR songs and that’s why I make intro songs. I take risks.
“Do you think only I face such criticism in the world of cinema? Many great filmmakers and creative minds have faced it.”
He added: “When I did Raja Rani (2013), I wanted to do something about the increasing number of shattered families. But there was already a milestone film (Mouna Ragam) on the topic. At one point, I considered doing a film that was even a bit similar to others. But really, there’s not a single story that hasn’t been done before. I sit and genuinely work on my scripts.”
Atlee pointed out that the criticism he receives is from those who want to bring him down.
“When someone passes a (flippant) comment about my films being similar to others, I never think my effort, honesty and labour are mere replicas. It’s their opinion.
“Of course, I have made films which have shared storylines with other films. For example, Theri has different versions before and after its release. But when I do it, it’s ‘copied’. Copying is easy. If that’s the case, everyone can do it.”
Atlee also confirmed that he is working on a script where both Shah Rukh Khan and Thalapathy Vijay can share the screen.
The director said he was on a break from work to spend some time with his wife, Priya, and son, Meer.
Indo-Asian News Service
