The movie Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, which received rave reviews, is now facing a legal storm months after its worldwide release, as it was getting recognized by the international community. The dispute arose when ex-journalist author Puja Changoiwala declared that the film took the plot of her novel Homebound (2021) without her permission. The conflict is related to the moment when the film Homebound was considered for the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards.
Dharma Production Denies Plagiarism In Homebound
According to reports, Puja Changoiwala has filed a lawsuit against Dharma Productions Private Limited (the production company under the direction of Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla) and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP (the film’s streaming service). It is also said that she will come to the Bombay High Court to officially lodge her complaint in a few days.
Dharma Productions has denied the accusations and stated on Wednesday, December 24. The production house called the plagiarism allegations completely baseless. The firm stated that Homebound is a licensed adaptation of a New York Times article by journalist Basharat Peer, and that all the rights were accorded in the proper way, with due credit being given. Dharma also informed that it had been sent a legal notice by Changoiwala in October and that it had responded to it in due time. Nevertheless, the production house, in its statement, said that it had not yet received the official court documents about the alleged lawsuit.
Changoiwala, on the other hand, asserted that her book and the film not only depict the same events, i.e., 19 pandemic and the migration of workers, but also have significant similarities in the story. She claimed that the film not only borrows the title of her book but also closely follows her story, especially the second half. In her view, this also comprises similar scenes, dialogues, narrative style, and the sequence of events.
More Details On Homebound
Homebound is a drama directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and features Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor.