Maidaan: Ajay Devgn's Film Delayed By Court Amid Plagiarism Allegations

In a surprising turn of events, Ajay Devgn's eagerly awaited film "Maidaan" faces a legal hurdle that could potentially delay its release. A court in Mysore has issued an injunction against the film's premiere, scheduled for April 11, following allegations of plagiarism. The accusation stems from Anil Kumar, a scriptwriter based in Karnataka, who claims his script has been unlawfully replicated.

The legal action was initiated by the principal district and session court in Mysore after Kumar lodged a complaint. He alleges to have written a script in 2010, focusing on the Indian football team's non-participation in the FIFA World Cup of 1950. This script, titled "Paadanduka," was registered with the Screen Writers Association in Mumbai, and Kumar had shared details about it on his LinkedIn profile.

Kumar's grievance centers around his interactions with Sukhdas Suryavanshi, the assistant director of "Maidaan." He claims that during discussions in 2019, there were promises of arranging a meeting with Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan to discuss producing the film—a meeting that never came to fruition. "I have the entire chat history. He told me he'd make me meet Aamir Khan but I couldn't meet him for certain reasons. I gave him the story and registered the same with the Screen Writers Association," Kumar explained.

Upon viewing the trailer and statements from the filmmakers of "Maidaan," Kumar believed his story was being utilized without his consent. "I heard that a movie named 'Maidaan' is getting released, I was surprised because even I have the same story. When I looked at the teaser and their statements, I got to know that it was my story," he said.

Together with his lawyer, Iyanna, Kumar sought a permanent injunction against the release of "Maidaan." The court's decision on April 8 specifically targets Zee Studios, producer Boney Kapoor, and the film's direction team, including Amit Sharma and Sukhdas Suryavanshi, ordering a halt to the film's release.

"The Mysore principal district and session court has stayed the release of the 'Maidaan' movie starring Ajay Devgn, produced by Zee studios and Boney Kapoor, which was supposed to be released on April 11. The complaint was filed by story writer Anil Kumar. The story which was registered at Screen Writers Association is being misused and being released by Zee studios and the court has ordered to halt the release," Iyanna stated.

Anil Kumar has dispatched the court order notice to all involved parties, with a follow-up hearing set for April 24. This development casts a shadow over the future of "Maidaan," leaving its release date hanging in balance as further legal proceedings are anticipated to shed light on this contentious issue.