Director Atlee has long been dogged by allegations of plagiarism, with critics branding him a "copy master" since his debut.
His first film, Raja Rani, was widely said to be inspired by Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam, while Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, was reportedly modeled after an old Vijayakanth movie.
Even the action sequences in his films have often been accused of being directly lifted from vintage Hollywood blockbusters.
Recently, Atlee addressed these criticisms, saying, “People accuse me of copying, but the truth is I draw from my own experiences.”
He denied borrowing plots from other films and insisted that his storytelling is rooted in personal inspiration. Despite his defense, the allegations continue to follow him.
The latest rumors target his upcoming big-budget project with Allu Arjun, tentatively titled AA22xA6.
Social media buzz suggests that the film’s basic storyline has been heavily influenced by two Hollywood productions — one of them reportedly being Dune, especially in terms of the "creatures" element.
The film, which features Allu Arjun in the lead and Deepika Padukone among the female cast, was recently announced and is expected to go on floors soon.
Atlee, however, has yet to respond to these new plagiarism claims.
