Published 11:22 IST, March 11th 2020
'Devi' plagiarism row: 'Four' maker Abhishek Rai breaks silence, demands public apology
Kajol starrer short film Devi has been creating quite some hype amongst the viewers lately. The short film, based on rape victims, was called out for plagiarism
Kajol-starrer short film Devi has been creating quite some hype amongst the viewers lately. The short film, based on rape victims, was called out for plagiarism by a bunch of people who had put up a similar story titled Four on YouTube in the year 2018. Filmmaker Abhishek Rai and his team made the revelation through a Facebook post which has been gaining momentum lately. In an interview with a leading media publication, the filmmaker informed that considering that he was not given any due credit or acknowledgment for the short film, he is waiting for their response. Demanding a public apology, Rai asserted, "We will move ahead legally with the support of our college if they don't give us an explanation".
Devi called out for plagiarism
The entire debacle started when Abhishek Rai and others put up a post stating that the content of Devi has been plagiarised from their short film which they created as students. The similarities in the plot include the concept of an afterlife, the concept of a room filled with rape victims and the end of the film.
Meanwhile, Devi, the short film, has been gaining attention from the viewers for the kind of hard-hitting story that it portrays. It stars Kajol, Neha Dhupia, Shruti Haasan, to name a few, and is being critically appreciated for its concept. Most people can be seen pointing out how they teared up after watching the piece. Have a look at a few of the reactions here.
When reviewed by Republic World, Devi was given a high rating of 4.5.
"This wonder of a short film deserves applause for the relevance of the subject that it dealt with so poignantly. 'Devi' leaves you tongue-tied with the realisation that we live in a society where incidents like sexual violence and suffering of women is a collective reality for many. Some endure it bravely, while others succumb to the pressures of keeping up with the label of 'devi' ascribed to women in India", stated our critic
Updated 11:22 IST, March 11th 2020