Director Raaj Shaandilyaa refutes plagiarism claims on ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’; sends legal notice to accusers

Rao and Dimri play a couple, whose intimate video goes missing

Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri's Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video (VVKWWV) revolves around the chaos that ensues when a married couple's intimate video goes missing. For now though, there is enough chaos surrounding Raaj Shaandilyaa's directorial venture. A fortnight ago, producer Sanjay Tiwari and writer Gul Bano Khan claimed that the film is plagiarised from their script, Sex Hai Toh Life Hai. The duo sent a legal notice to VVKWWV's makers - including producers Bhushan Kumar and Ektaa R Kapoor - stating that Tiwari and Gul, in 2015, had penned an original storyline around the same premise and registered it with the Screen Writers Association (SWA).

Not only that, on October 1, Tiwari held a press conference, where he stated, "The idea is the most crucial element. Once it's there, you can spin a script or screenplay around it, but copying the original idea without permission is a serious issue. I hope Raaj investigates his team. I'm certain we have plenty of common people."

Raaj Shaandilyaa

When mid-day reached out to director Shaandilyaa, who has also written the screenplay along with Yusuf Khan, he said that the film's team is seeking legal recourse. He said, "We're sending a legal notice [in response] to their allegations, and what they spoke at the press conference. These allegations are not true at all. We have not stolen anybody's concept. The core idea of Baahubali is a son taking revenge for his father's death. Tomorrow, Baahubali's makers cannot complain that other [filmmakers] have stolen their concept."

The comedy, set in the 1990s, sees Rao and Dimri as a newly married couple whose lives turn topsy-turvy as they try to retrieve the missing video. Shaandilyaa asserts that there is no question of the team lifting the idea from Sex Hai Toh Life Hai, as the upcoming film has its roots in multiple real-life incidents. He further explained, "Ours is a fictional story, inspired by various news articles about similar incidents that happened between 1994 and 2000. Our film has been inspired by that - about a husband and wife, who make an intimate video and the impact it has when it gets stolen. We have written an entirely different script inspired by the [news]. There are so many real-life stories like this. How can someone claim that it is their story?"

mid-day reached out to VVKWWV's producers Kumar and Vipul D Shah, who refused to comment.