'Parasite' made history not just in South Korean cinema but in the film industry as a whole at this year's Academy Awards gala, but it seems as though its now-legendary status will face its fair share of challenges in the days to come. The winner of four Oscars including Best Picture is now facing backlash from Kollywood, the nickname given to the Tamil-language film industry, over potential plagiarism charges.
P.L. Thenappan, a producer within the Kollywood industry, is considering suing Bong Joon-ho's critically acclaimed film on the basis that it plagiarises the 1999 Tamil film 'Minsara Kanna'. In an interview with India Today, the producer insists that the South Korean film has clearly stolen aspects of its story from 'Minsara Kanna'. "I saw the South Korean film 'Parasite' and I feel that they have stolen the film's crux from 'Minsara Kanna'", claimed Thenappan.
"I'm in talks with international lawyers and contemplating on filing a case against the makers of 'Parasite' soon", he concluded. 'Minsara Kanna' revolves around a man who falls in love with a woman whilst his family, desperate for a higher social status and a life in the lap of luxury, hatches a plan to get the man a job in the house of his lady-love and slowly assimilate themselves into her daily life. However, in this case the driving force behind the protagonist's actions differs considerably from the motivation at the heart of 'Parasite' as his main desire is to win the approval of the family of the woman he loves.
Biographical Bong Joon-ho
In claiming the 'Parasite' was based on 'Minsara Kanna', Thenappan directly contradicts the words of one Bong Joon-ho, who explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the spark of inspiration for 'Parasite' came from his own experiences. When the director was 20 years old, his girlfriend recommended him as a maths teacher to a rich family in spite of the fact that the filmmaker was self-admittedly "really bad" at the subject.
Whatever medium or experience triggered the revelation that is 'Parasite', the director of 'Minsara Kanna', K.S. Ravikumar, is delighted that the film went on to win an Oscar: "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". If Thenappan does decide to sue 'Parasite' for alleged plagiarism, it would be an unfortunate end to one of the most revolutionary ceremonies in the history of the Oscars with 'Parasite' acting as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture over the gala's 92 years.
