The plagiarism controversy surrounding Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming Netflix movie Gandhari got here up on the movie’s trailer launch in Mumbai on Tuesday, with Netflix Unique Movies director Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh and writer-producer Kanika Dhillon addressing the allegations for the primary time publicly. Each maintained that the movie is an unique work and stated a clearer image would emerge as soon as audiences watched the trailer and the movie.
Author Kalyan Bandi, an IIT Madras alumnus who works as an Inspector with Central GST and Customs, has alleged that Gandhari bears similarities to a story he wrote and registered in 2019, additionally titled Gandhari. He has claimed that he pitched the story to Monika Shergill, who was then with Voot and is now a Vice President at Netflix, and later despatched a authorized discover looking for compensation and credit score. Dhillon’s manufacturing home Kathha Photos has beforehand rejected the allegations.
On the trailer launch, Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh stated Netflix takes questions of originality and inventive attribution severely.
“You recognize, at Netflix, we take originality and inventive attribution very severely. I wish to make it very clear right here that we obtain a number of pitches, and the pitch in query may be very totally different from Kanika and Taapsee’s Gandhari,” she stated.
She added that she didn’t wish to make additional assumptions in regards to the matter and urged audiences to look at the movie.
“I received’t make every other assumptions or push this additional. Please watch the movie, watch the trailer, and because the movie comes out, you will notice. However we’re at all times dedicated to the originality of our storytellers, whether or not somebody is on a streak of 5 or 6 issues or if that is their first time,” she stated.
Dhillon, who has labored as a author earlier than turning producer, stated she understood the feelings of one other author however maintained that she had by no means met Bandi.
“You recognize, I’m a author myself first after which a producer, so I completely respect someone’s sentiments. However on this specific case, I’ve by no means met the author, and I don’t know their journey,” she stated.
Dhillon added that she believed the similarities being alleged could be simpler to evaluate as soon as the story was seen in full.
“I believe when you hear the story, when you perceive what the story is about, you then’ll have a a lot clearer image. And like Ruchikaa stated, as a platform, Netflix is dedicated to very stringent guidelines and parameters,” she stated.
“So I believe there shall be a transparent image as soon as all the pieces comes out. I’ve already talked about that it is a fully unique script, I simply hope you all benefit from the movie,” Dhillon added.
What are the Gandhari plagiarism allegations?
The controversy started after Kalyan Bandi claimed that Taapsee’s Gandhari shared similarities with a narrative he had written and registered in 2019. Bandi stated his story centred on a mom who takes on the persona of a fierce goddess whereas trying to rescue her baby from a child-trafficking racket.
Talking to India Right this moment, Bandi claimed that he first contacted Monika Shergill on LinkedIn in 2019 and subsequently shared an eight-page story and a two-page synopsis along with her. He stated the fabric was acknowledged, however he was later knowledgeable that the story didn’t match the corporate’s commissioning slate.
Bandi additionally claimed that he registered the story and synopsis with the Screenwriters Affiliation across the identical time and continued creating the thought. In 2023, he stated, he approached Baweja Studios, the place discussions across the story and screenplay continued for 5 to 6 months. He additionally claimed to have submitted the pitch to JioHotstar.
The announcement of Gandhari on Netflix in 2025 got here as a shock to Bandi. He stated the title instantly caught his consideration and that he subsequently in contrast the introduced mission with the story he had developed. He felt there have been sufficient similarities to boost the difficulty.
Bandi has additionally argued that the title Gandhari itself was an essential a part of his unique idea. “Solely I can join the title to the idea as a result of it was my creativity. How can or not it’s credited to Kanika Dhillon?” he stated.
He additional claimed that he had despatched a authorized discover in September 2025 looking for monetary compensation and credit score. Bandi additionally alleged that some manufacturing homes with which he had been in discussions backed away after the announcement of the Netflix movie, inflicting him monetary {and professional} losses.
Kathha Photos rejects allegations
Kanika Dhillon’s manufacturing home, Kathha Photos, has rejected Bandi’s allegations. In an announcement, the manufacturing home maintained that Gandhari is “an unique work” and described the allegations as false.
The movie, written and produced by Dhillon and directed by Devashish Makhija, follows Bani, performed by Taapsee Pannu, a mom who units out to search out and shield her kidnapped daughter. Set within the fictional city of Joypurra, the motion thriller traces her journey as she encounters a collection of threats whereas making an attempt to succeed in her daughter.
Gandhari also stars Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna.
The movie is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 3, 2026.
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