"Parasite" Reps Respond To Reports That Producer Of Indian Film "Minsara Kanna" Is Considering Plagiarism Lawsuit

The producer of Indian film “Minsara Kanna” has accused “Parasite” of plagiarism.

Recently, outlet India Today reported that “Minsara Kanna” producer P.L. Thenappan said, “I saw the South Korean film ‘Parasite’ and I feel that they have stolen the film’s crux from ‘Minsara Kanna.’ I’m in talks with international lawyers and contemplating on filing a case against the makers of ‘Parasite’ soon.” The producer did not state which part of the film was plagiarized.

TNM News quotes him as saying, “They have taken the plot from my film. When they find out that some of our films have been inspired by their films, they file cases. Similarly, it is only fair for us to do the same.”

“Minsara Kanna” is a 1999 romantic comedy that was directed by K.S. Ravikumar and also co-produced by K.R. Gangadharan. The film tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a woman from a wealthy family. In order to persuade her family, he hides his identity and enters her home by working as a bodyguard. His siblings also work at the home as a housekeeper and chef.

In the 2019 film “Parasite” directed by Bong Joon Ho, a struggling poor family cons their way into all gaining employment as workers for a rich family. India Today writes, “While the plotline is similar [to ‘Minsara Kanna’], the motives of characters in both films are completely different.”

According to TNM News, director K.S. Ravikumar said, “I’m happy that the story has received an Oscar, even if it [‘Minsara Kanna’] served as an inspiration. However, filing a case is up to the producer.”

On February 18, “Parasite” production company CJ Entertainment responded to these reports. In an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper’s Star Today, a source from CJ Entertainment said, “We have no knowledge about plagiarism claims from an Indian film. We have not received any information regarding this issue.”

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