'Parasite' Receives Plagiarism Claims from Indian Filmmaker

Indian filmmaker P.L. Thenappan has accused Bong Joon-ho of plagiarism in regards to his Oscar-winning film, Parasite.

Thenappan, the producer of a 1999 rom-com entitled Minsara Kanna, claims that Bong stole the plot of his film for Parasite on different occasions. “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,” he told India Today.

In a separate interview with TNM News, the producer adds, “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 director K.S. Ravikumar has a more indifferent tone to the situation, saying, “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.”

Parasite’s production company CJ Entertainment have responded to these claims, noting, “We have no knowledge about plagiarism claims from an Indian film. We have not received any information regarding this issue.”

To clarify, Minsara Kanna focuses on a young man who falls in love with a woman who comes from a rich family. He and his relatives fake their identities to work for the family, with the main actor posing as a bodyguard and his siblings as a housekeeper and chef.

In related news, Parasite saw a record-breaking 234% increase in ticket sales after its historical Oscar win.