Controversy surrounds ‘Baby' with copyright complaint

HYDERABAD: Last year's super hit Telugu film, 'Baby,' directed by Sai Rajesh, has found itself entangled in a legal battle following a copyright complaint filed by short filmmaker and cinematographer Shirin Sriram. Sriram alleges that he shared a script titled "Kanna Please," later renamed as "Preminchoddu," with Sai Rajesh in 2015. He claims that the director and producer Srinivasa Kumar Naidu (SKN) went on to create the film 'Baby' using his script without due credit.

According to Sriram, he narrated the story to Sai Rajesh under the impression that it would be produced, collaborating with SKN. However, the project never materialized, and Sriram left the collaboration. In 2023, 'Baby' was released, and Sriram contends that it closely resembles his earlier script.

The controversy has escalated with Sriram filing a criminal case against the director and producers, alleging a conspiracy to steal his movie story. He emphasizes the emotional toll this has taken on his team and criticizes the portrayal of the central character in 'Baby' as opposed to his original vision.

Sriram sharing above the same took to his social media account and wrote a long post. His post read, “Hello Everyone, I am here to inform you that finally we filed a Criminal case on a director and two producers for conniving and conspiring to steal my movie story “PREMINCHODDU” and making a Telugu movie called ‘Baby’. It will shock everyone and soon everyone will realise that this is the biggest script scam in the history of Telugu Cinema. I am Shirin Sriram, director and producer of a movie titled ‘Preminchoddu’. It's a Pan-India movie made in 5 languages, based on Teenage life. In 2015 a team of 6 writers and I wrote a story of a girl from Basti who falls in love with two boys of different economic backgrounds. We narrated this story, in the same year, to the Director of the Telugu movie ‘Baby (2023)’ under the impression that he would Produce the film. I also narrated my ‘Teen Movie Story’ to SKN in the office of Geetha Arts located in Nandagiri Hills, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, on 20th October 2015. In 2023, he released the film 'Baby,' which my team and I realised was a modified version of the previously titled 'Preminchoddu' (Working Title: 'Kanna Please'). I am not doing any cheap publicity stunts but just revealing the facts. It took 500 years for Ram Temple truth to come out🙏. Hence I request everyone to wait until the truth unfolds. Whether me or the other side kindly support, not the individuals, only the Truth.Thanks to all people who supported me and Director, Producer, Advocate Nikhilesh Thogari.”

The legal battle is now underway, with police investigating the matter. Sriram urges everyone to await the truth and stresses the importance of supporting truth over individuals in this situation.