Kannada filmmaker R. Chandru has been a key actor in a rising online debate. In light of a public interview by him accusing They Call Him OG of having lifted part of his 2023 film Kabzaa, the argument has split the internet.
With OG set to debut on Netflix on October 23, that dispute heated up even further.Chandru’s Comments Generate ControversyDirector R. Chandru, who made Kabzaa, made remarks according to a recent YouTube interview that the feeling he got watching They Call Him OG was very similar to his own film.
“OG most of the frames are inspired by Kabzaa. Those are now being called good shots, but I used similar frames four years ago, “he said.Ironic TwistInterestingly, Chandru qualified himself as not charging OG with plagiarism outright.
He described it instead as a “creative inspiration” and felt proud of the fact that his film could influence others in the industry. This clarification, however, did not appease the fans much; to most of them, this statement was seen as an attempted self-promotion just prior to OG making its OTT debut.
Internet Reactions and Fan BacklashThe supporters of Pawan Kalyan quickly responded after Chandru made his remarks. They pointed out that Kabzaa had the worst box office earnings of any film ever, apparently seeing They Call Him as Pawan Kalyan’s biggest career hit with over ₹300 crores coming globally.Users made fun of Chandru with memes and sarcastic comments.
One Reddit post concluded that, “Kabzaa was inspired by KGF, he is now saying he copied OG— It seems like the circle of influence is complete Pavw ”.Many people also brought up the fact that Chandru’s movie has been criticized as a result of its resemblance to KGF. In light of this, he is in no position to accuse someone else of imitation at all.
OG Team’s Response and Upcoming OTT LaunchSujeeth, who directed They Call Him OG, has reportedly not issued any official statement on the charges from Chandru, but he is said to be quite unconcerned about all this talk.Scheduled to release on October 23 on Netflix in multiple languages, the cast of the motion picture includes Pawan Kalyan, Emraan Hashmi (The Man, The Mustache, The Movie Heartthrob Assistant), Priyanka Arul Mohan and Arjun Das.
Conclusion
However, whether they took any visual cues from Kabzaa is open to dispute. Yet, the internet has spoken: nearly all netizens believe Chandru’s remarks are totally unnecessary and that OG’s success is due to both packaging which appeals to popular tastes (Kapoor style) as well as Prabhu power or star power. After OG’s journey to Netflix, the controversy not only failed to die down but actually became louder. If anything it might be thought that this brought more people into contact with it and thereby increased curiosity about what all the fuss was about; in cinema timing goes beyond any story.
