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Panipat is not based on Vishwas Patil's book: Ashutosh Gowariker on copyright controversy


Marathi author Vishwas Patil has accused the makers of adapting the film on his book Panipat without his consent. 

Keyur Seta

Recently, Marathi author Vishwas Patil filed a lawsuit in the Bombay high court against Ashutosh Gowariker’s upcoming film Panipat (2019). He has accused the filmmaker, producers Rohit Shelatkar, Sunita Gowariker, and Reliance Entertainment of adapting his 1988 book of the same name into the Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Sanjay Dutt-starrer without his consent. 

Now, Gowariker has reacted on the ongoing matter while giving interviews of Panipat today. The filmmaker denied the accusation saying that he never takes content from novels while making a historical film and his film is purely based on historian and author TS Shejwalkar’s account of Panipat. 

"I never follow novels. The only novel I have taken rights of to make it into a film is a fiction novel. And it was Madhu Rye’s Kimball Ravenswood on which I made What’s Your Raashee? (2009). So, when I need a novel, I go and take its rights. When I need a historical account, I take rights. Shejwalkar’s book is in public domain, so there are no rights involved. Anyways, it’s a historical account," said Gowariker. 

The period drama is based on the third battle of Panipat that took place between the Marathas and the army of Afghan king Abdul Shah Abdali in 1761. 

Gowariker cited an example of his earlier film to prove his stand. “For Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se (2010), I took Malini Chatterjee’s account, not her novel. Similarly, here I have taken Shejwalkar’s entire account of Panipat of 1761. That is the main source. My entire screenplay, attitude and approach are from that. And I am announcing that,” he said. 

The filmmaker added that he never likes snatching away the credit of writers. “I never never take away writers’ credit. I always give them credit. I always give credit to my source. I never take a beech ka raasta [middle path]," Gowariker stated.

The court hearing on the matter will take place on Monday, 2 December. 

Panipat will be released on 6 December.