Nani faces plagiarism allegations over HIT 3; writer moves Madras High Court : Bollywood News

Actor-producer Nani has found himself at the centre of a legal controversy as Chennai-based writer Vimalavelan, also known as Vimal, has filed a plagiarism petition against the team of HIT: The Third Case. The writer has approached the Madras High Court alleging that the film is an unauthorized copy of a script he had submitted to the South Indian Film Writers’ Association (SIFWA) in August 2021.

Nani faces plagiarism allegations over HIT 3; writer moves Madras High Court

In his petition, Vimalavelan claims that he initially shared the script with Nani in August 2022, hoping to collaborate with the actor-producer under the belief that his story would align with Nani’s sensibilities. However, the collaboration never materialized, and he says he received no response from Nani or his team. Shockingly, upon watching HIT 3 in theatres, Vimal alleges he discovered numerous similarities with his original script — only altered superficially.

Despite sending legal notices to the production team and raising the issue with SIFWA, Vimal says no action was taken, prompting him to escalate the matter to the judiciary. The writer has now requested the court to intervene and has sought compensation in the form of 20% of the film’s total profits, citing financial and intellectual property loss.

Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, HIT: The Third Case is the latest installment in the HIT franchise — an investigative thriller series backed by Nani’s production house, Wall Poster Cinema. The film stars Nani in the lead role, playing his part as SP Arjun Sarkar, and is a continuation of the universe established in the previous two films, HIT: The First Case and HIT: The Second Case. Known for its gripping plot and dark psychological themes, HIT 3 has been a significant commercial and critical success.

The court is yet to respond to the petition, but the case has stirred conversation around originality and authorial credit in the film industry. With the HIT franchise becoming a cornerstone of Nani’s production portfolio, the outcome of this legal battle could have wider implications for creative rights in regional cinema.

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