Nag Ashwin's dystopian sci-fi action film Kalki 2898 AD stirred controversy shortly after its trailer debuted on Monday.
In the wake of the release, Sung Choi, a concept illustrator and designer with experience at Marvel Studios, Disney, and Warner Bros., accused Vyjayanthi Movies of allegedly copying his artwork.
Choi, who shared frames from Kalki 2898 AD alongside his own decade-old illustrations on social media, criticized the unauthorized use of his creations.
Choi's comparison, if verified, seems to substantiate his claims. “Unauthorized use of artwork is a bad practice. This makes me question doing art in this lawless environment,” he posted, tagging the film and the production house.
The illustration in question appears on Choi’s website and dates back ten years.
Another concept illustrator, Oliver Beck, also accused the film’s creators of appropriating his designs from Star Trek: Prodigy (2021).
Beck lamented on social media, “Sad to see that some of the work I did for Star Trek: Prodigy got stolen by Vyjayanthi Movies in their trailer.”
He provided images of his artwork to support his allegations.
The accusations sparked backlash online, with netizens rallying behind the artists.
One user commented, “I hope you pursue legal action, if possible. This is awful.”
Another questioned the silence of the concept designers involved in the film: “I don’t know how some of the concept designers who worked on the film can stay silent after this criticism?”
