The makers of Chiranjeevi’s upcoming Telugu film Acharya (2020) on Thursday quashed rumours that the film’s story has been plagiarized. An official statement issued by the makers said, "We wish to inform everyone that Acharya is an original story written and conceptualized by Koratala Siva alone. Any claims that the said story is a copy is baseless.”
The statement further said, “It was only recently, on the occasion of megastar Chiranjeevi’s birthday on 22 August that the title look poster of Acharya was launched. It gathered great love and support from all sections of the society. As the hype reaches its zenith, a couple of writers, have now made false claims with respect to the story of the film.”
The makers said they’ve kept the story of the film confidential and only a select few people are aware of it.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that claims are being made based on the motion poster alone! We'd like to clear that this is an original story. It is unacceptable to defame a reputed filmmaker like Koratala Siva. In fact, the claims which are being made are unfounded and seem to be based on the speculative and rumoured stories in the print and electronic media. Therefore, any claims with respect to the story are completely baseless, false and are made solely on assumptions,” said the makers.
Acharya marks the maiden collaboration of Chiranjeevi and Koratala Siva. It is rumoured that Chiranjeevi has a double role in the film. According to reports, Acharya is about a middle-aged Naxalite-turned-social reformer, who launches a fight against the endowments department over misappropriation and embezzlement of temple funds and donations.