Dhanush’s Captain Miller in plagiarism row: Vela Ramamurthy says the film is blatant copy of his novel Pattathu Yaanai

Captain Miller, directed by Arun Matheswaran and featuring Dhanush, has courted a new controversy as Tamil writer-actor Vela Ramamurthy has accused the makers of plagiarism. The writer, known for his Tamil novels and poems, claimed that the story of Captain Miller is a blatant copy of his novel titled Pattathu Yaanai. He criticized the alleged adaptation of his novel without seeking proper authorization.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the Tamil film industry, Ramamurthy also stressed the importance of respecting intellectual property and condemned the practice of appropriating creative content without fair compensation. Speaking to Pudhiya Thalamurai, he said, “The film has been based on my novel Pattathu Yaanai. I need justice for this plagiarism. There’s not honesty in the film industry. I am going to approach Tamil cinema director’s union. Hope, filmmaker Bharathiraja sir will give justice to me.”

ALSO READ | Captain Miller movie review: Dhanush’s film is a brilliant political drama in the guise of an actioner

The writer also said that it is not fame and money that he is after as he has gotten both aplenty. On the other hand, he claimed that he is seeking justice for his work.

Story continues below this ad

Vela Ramamurthy has acted in many films including Rajinikanth’s Annaatthhe, Sethupathi, and Kidaari. He has also played the father to Dhanush’s character in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Enai Nokki Paayum Thotta.

Captain Miller, set in pre-independence era, is the story of a vigilante and a former British sepoy, who finally resolves to stand up for his people. The film was lauded for its cinematography and background score and turned out to be a successful venture for Dhanush. Also starring Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar and Telugu actor Sandeep Kishan, the film, produced by Sathya Jyothi Films, boasts music composed by G.V. Prakash.