Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Gandhari’ Faces Plagiarism Allegations, Makers Dismiss Claims as False

Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming film Gandhari has landed in a plagiarism controversy after Mumbai-based writer Raghav Desai alleged that the film’s concept resembles a script he had pitched to the makers in 2024.

The filmmakers have strongly denied the allegations, calling them unverified and false. Desai reportedly claimed that he had shared a similar story with the team and later accused the makers of developing his idea under writer-producer Kanika Dhillon’s name.

Dhillon’s production banner Kathha Pictures addressed the controversy in a statement posted on Instagram. The production house said the allegations suggesting that Gandhari copied another person’s concept or title were baseless.

According to the statement, Gandhari is an original project written and produced by Dhillon and developed by Kathha Pictures. The production house maintained that both the story and screenplay are Dhillon’s own work.

Kathha Pictures also urged media outlets, digital platforms and social media users not to circulate the allegations as established facts, describing them as “unverified and false”.

The controversy comes months after Netflix unveiled Gandhari’s first-look posters in February. The posters featured Pannu in an intense avatar, with the streaming platform teasing the film as a story about a mother’s transformation from love to rage.

Directed by Devashish Makhija, the revenge drama also features Ishwak Singh in a key role. The film’s shooting was completed in March and it is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 3.

Gandhari marks the sixth collaboration between Pannu and Dhillon. The pair have previously worked together on Manmarziyaan, Haseen Dillruba, Rashmi Rocket, Dunki and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba.