Now Jaipur-based filmmaker sues Akshay Kumar s Toilet – Ek Prem Katha for copyright infringement

Looks like the plagiarism woes just don t seem to end for the makers of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, starring Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar. Based on the importance of sanitation and installation of toilets in everybody s homes, the social drama was first accused of being similar to Praveen Vyas s 2016 docu-feature Manini. Manini throws light on a girl who, after marriage, faces acute problems due to lack of toilets in her new house. She is forced to wake up early to attend nature s call in the fields.

Praveen even moved court and applied for a stay order. While not much is known about what happened after that, the producers of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha now have to face another legal battle as Jaipur-based filmmaker, Praatik Sharma, has sued the makers. He alleged that the punchline and subject of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha is similar to Gutrun Gutargun, a film which he finished way back in 2015.

A copyright infringement case was filed by Praatik against the producers of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, Plan C Studios and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, in a Jaipur Metropolitan Court, on July 7. According to Praatik, a line in Toilet – Ek Prem Katha is same as the one in his film Gutrun Gutargun that is, Aurat shadi karke ghar mai aati hai, usko toilet nahi milta, bawal hota hai, ant mai pati usko toilet bana kar deta hai. The director says that because of this dialogue, the distributors are not ready to buy his film. He reveals that Gutrun Gutargun was to release on July 28 this year but after the trailer of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha was out in around mid-June, the distributors backed off.

Praatik claimed that he has got a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification in 2015 itself but couldn t release due to lack of money for distribution. His other claim was that Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has also seen the film in a special screening. Incidentally, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had also seen Manini and a picture of him awarding Praveen Vyas with a certification can be seen on the internet.