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“I wrote the same story 10 years ago,” says writer Cho Dharman about Mari Selvaraj’s Vaazhai film; Maari says he just read it

Acclaimed director of Tamil cinema, Mari Selvaraj, known for his powerful storytelling, finds himself embroiled in controversy following the release of his latest film Vaazhai. The film, which was widely praised and The successful film is now under scrutiny after Sahitya Akademi award-winning author Cho Dharman accused Selvaraj of plagiarism in his work.

Cho Dharman, an acclaimed writer from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, claims that ‘Vaazhai’ bears striking similarities to a short story he wrote a decade ago with a similar title to ‘Vaazhaiadi’.. The story, Part of his story collection Neerppazhi (Waterfall) revolves around the hardships faced by children working in the banana industry. This theme, he claims, is reflected in Selvaraj’s film.

Selvaraj, who made a big impression with his debut film Pariyerum Perumal, has quickly become well-known in the Tamil film industry. His latest film Vaazhai, starring Kalaiyarasan, Divya Duraisamy and Nikila Vimal, is set in Puliangulam, a village in Thoothukudi. The film portrays the arduous life of children Banana Transport, which highlights their poverty and struggle. Despite its critical success and the support of leading directors like Bala, Shankar and Mysskin, the film is today overshadowed by these plagiarism allegations.

Dharman shared his concerns both publicly and on social media, stating that several friends urged him to watch Vaazhai as it resembled his short story. After watching the film, Dharman expressed shock at the similarities and noted that the narrative elements, character dynamics and certain scenes correspond very closely to those in his short story. Although he admitted that Selvaraj could not have copied his work directly, Dharman stressed that he was the first to capture these struggles in literary form. He said: “Maybe he didn’t even read my story. Maybe he carried the banana load. But as the person who gave shape to the hardships these children might face, I am the one who has every right to do so.”

“I wrote the story of the film that came “Founded 10 years ago under the name Vaazhaiadi… My story and the film tell one thing: how the hard work of the boys who carry the bananas is exploited,” said Dharman. He also stressed that his story contains the same plot points as the film, except for some additional elements created for the cinematic effect.

On Facebook, Dharman expressed his thoughts further, posting a link to his original short story and reflecting on how his work, although written a decade ago, is only now gaining wider recognition through its film adaptation.

Mari Selvaraj wrote on his Facebook “I just read a short story by author So Dharman about banana workers. Here is the banana short story. Everyone must read this story… Author Cho. Thank you Mr. Dharman.”

(With contributions from OneIndia Tamil)

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