Prabhas’s Saaho, which has struck gold at the box-office despite bad reviews, has found itself embroiled in yet another controversy. This time renowned French director Jerome Salle has accused the makers of plagiarising the film from his French movie Largo Winch, which had hit theatres in 2008. Many, who watched Saaho in India, tagged the director on social media and pointed out certain uncanny resemblances in the plot to Salle’s French movie.
Jerome Salle in a cheeky response to a fan’s tweet, wrote: “I think I have a promising career in India (sic).”
I think I have a promising career in India. https://t.co/XAiERdgUCF
— Jérôme Salle (@Jerome_Salle) August 30, 2019
This is the second instance where a Telugu film has been accused of borrowing the core plot from Largo Winch. Pawan Kalyan starrer Agnyathavaasi was also accused of stealing the plot of the French film.
The plot of Largo Winch revolves around an adopted son who must prove his legitimacy and take over his father’s empire following the latter’s death. Both Saaho and Agnyaathavaasi are centered on characters played by Pawan Kalyan and Prabhas who set out to prove their legitimacy when their fathers are brutally murdered.
In another tweet, Jerome went on to write that if Telugu filmmakers are stealing his work, they must at least do it properly.
“It seems this second "freemake" of Largo Winch is as bad as the first one. So please Telugu directors, if you steal my work, at least do it properly? And as my "Indian career" tweet was of course ironic, I'm sorry but I'm not gonna be able to help (sic)".
It seems this second "freemake" of Largo Winch is as bad as the first one. So please Telugu directors, if you steal my work, at least do it properly?
— Jérôme Salle (@Jerome_Salle) September 1, 2019
And as my "Indian career" tweet was of course ironic, I'm sorry but I'm not gonna be able to help. https://t.co/DWpQJ8Vyi0
As expected, the comment didn’t go down well with Saaho fans and soon the director was trolled for apparently belittling the Telugu film industry.
Dont over react bro its just matches li8ly ....Largo Winch is the not the first movie of the same story line ..many indian movies have the same..#Saaho is diff...U kid trying to get attention
— GAMBLER Y (@yashgambler13) September 1, 2019
I saw largo winch
— Nithin Kumar (@Looser_S02) September 2, 2019
Agnathavaasi is as far as good than ur movie
Ur movie is such a bullshitt
U have no rights to comment on#SAAHO https://t.co/89uThyTktS
This is not the first time that plagiarism charges have been levelled against the makers of Saaho. Bengaluru artist Shilo Shiv Suleman had alleged that the art work in “Oh Baby, won’t you tell me” song from Saaho was a blatant copy of her art installation at the Burning Man Art Festival in 2017.
The posters of the film too were found to be rip-offs of posters from Hollywood movies.
Neither the makers of Saaho nor its director Sujeeth has reacted on any of the allegations yet. Meanwhile, the film has opened to a terrific collection of Rs 300 crore worldwide until Sunday. Saaho, which has been made on a budget of close to Rs. 350 crore, also stars Shraddha Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Arun Vijay, Neil Nithin Mukesh, Murali Sharma and Vennela Kishore.
(With inputs from Digital Native)