On Saturday, director Raaj Shaandilyaa publicly apologized to the makers of ‘Stree’ for the unauthorized use of a character and dialogue from the popular franchise in his latest film, ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Raaj Shaandilyaa took full responsibility for the incident and clarified that his film in no way has connection to the ‘Stree’ universe.
I Raaj Shaandilyaa the director of the film “Vicky Vidya ka Woh Wala Video” on behalf of myself and on behalf of
Super Cassettes Ind. Pvt. Ltd., Balaji Motion Pictures and Wakaoo Films, the producers of the film, extend our sincere and unconditional apology for the unauthorized…— Raaj HINDU Shaandilyaa (@writerraj) October 12, 2024
The apology comes after fans and industry insiders noticed similarities between the two films, leading to accusations of intellectual property infringement. In his message, Shaandilyaa expressed his regret and extended an “unconditional apology” to Maddock Films, the production house behind ‘Stree’. He acknowledged that elements from their franchise came to use without permission and emphasized that it was not intentional.
“I, Raaj Shaandilyaa, on behalf of myself and the producers of ‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, sincerely apologize for the unauthorized use of characters and dialogue from the ‘Stree’ franchise,” he stated in his post. “We deeply regret any harm caused to Maddock Films and their franchise as a result of this infringement.”
Shaandilyaa also assured that swift action was being taken to correct the mistake. “We are in the process of removing all infringing content from our film and aim to complete this by Tuesday, October 15, 2024, to the full satisfaction of Maddock Films.” He further stressed that his film has no connection to ‘Stree’ or its upcoming sequel, ‘Stree 2’, and that his team makes no claim to any intellectual property rights related to the franchise.
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‘Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, which released on October 11, stars Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The film, set in the vibrant 1990s, is likely to be a mix of comedy and drama, transporting viewers back in time with a lighthearted yet nostalgic storyline.
Despite the controversy, the film’s cast, which includes seasoned actors like Vijay Raaz, Archana Puran Singh, and Ashwini Kalsekar, has garnered attention for their performances.