Enthiran Director Shankar ’s Rs.10 Cr Assets Attached by ED Over Copyright Dispute

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chennai Zone Office, has provisionally attached three immovable properties owned by well-known Tamil Director Shankar. These assets, worth approximately Rs.10.11 crore, have been seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

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What Led to the Investigation?

The case stems from a 2011 complaint filed by Tamil writer Aarur Tamilnadan in a Chennai court. Tamilnadan accused Shankar of plagiarizing his short story Jiguba for the blockbuster film Enthiran (Robot). He claimed this was a violation of the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.

ED’s Investigation and Findings

Following the complaint, the ED launched an inquiry into Shankar’s earnings from Enthiran. The investigation revealed that he received ₹11.5 crore for his work on the film, including story development, screenplay, dialogues, and direction.

A report by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) confirmed that there were striking similarities between Tamilnadan’s story Jiguba and the movie Enthiran. This report strengthened the writer’s plagiarism claims.

Legal Action Against Director Shankar

Authorities concluded that Shankar had violated Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, which is now classified as a scheduled offence under the PMLA, 2002. As a result, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court-II, Egmore, Chennai, issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him for repeatedly failing to appear in court.

Tamilnadan ’s Allegations

Tamilnadan originally published his short story Jiguba in the Tamil magazine Iniya Udhayam in 1996. The story was later republished as a novel titled Dhik Dhik Dheepika in 2007. He alleged that Enthiran, which was released in 2010 starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, was copied from his story. The movie was a massive success, earning ₹290 crore worldwide.

What’s Next?

The ED has confirmed the attachment of Shankar’s properties through an official statement on its Twitter handle. Further legal proceedings will determine the director’s fate in this long-standing plagiarism case.

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