The political action thriller, ‘Shakthi Thirumagan’, has found remarkable resonance with audiences following its OTT premiere on JioHotstar on October 24, 2025. Starring Vijay Antony in his 25th lead role, the film’s digital reception has been overwhelmingly positive, even garnering public appreciation from veteran director Shankar. However, this success has been swiftly followed by a serious accusation of plagiarism that has commanded immediate attention.
An X user identified as Subash Sundar publicly alleged that the story of ‘Shakthi Thirumagan’ was stolen. Sundar claimed the film’s core plot belongs to his own registered script, titled ‘Thalaivan’, a synopsis of which he stated was submitted to Dream Warrior Pictures in 2022. These accusations, along with supporting documents released by Sundar, quickly went viral, prompting media outlets and netizens to question the film’s director, Arun Prabu.
Director Prabu Issues Firm Rebuttal, Citing 2014 Origin
Director Arun Prabu responded to the rising tide of accusations with a comprehensive and firm denial, emphasizing the long gestation period of his work. Taking to his official X handle, he dismissed the claims as “completely false and part of a conspiracy.”
Initially intending to dismiss the claims as an “online troll,” the director was compelled to issue a detailed public statement after the allegations were picked up by several leading media houses. “After years of hard work, such false allegations are deeply distressing,” he wrote.
To substantiate his claim of originality, Prabu shared a screenshot of an email correspondence dated October 2014, stating: “The story of Sakthi Thirumagan was written back in 2014 itself.”
He elaborated that the original 2014 draft, then titled ‘Parashakthi’, featured the protagonist Kittu—a broker working at the Secretariat—raised by a Periyarist wall artist named Subbaiya. The core concept—a boy who questions society and takes on a powerful, untouchable villain—was conceived at that time. He asserted that he possesses a wealth of evidence to back his claim, including “email exchanges, script drafts shared with producers and actors, registration certificates, video and audio recordings, and other documents,” all predating the accuser’s 2022 submission.
A Call for Legal Resolution
The director lamented the difficulty of making and releasing a film, only to be met with “such conspiracies and defamatory allegations.” He concluded his public note by stating his intent to address the matter only in the “appropriate legal or official forums,” should further clarity be required.
While Arun Prabu has made his position unequivocally clear, Subash Sundar’s next course of action in this increasingly contentious legal and ethical dispute remains to be seen. In the meantime, the film, which features a strong cast including Sunil Kripalani, Trupthi Ravindra, and Vagai Chandrasekhar, continues to garner high viewership on the OTT platform, driven partly by the controversy and the strong cinematic endorsement from director Shankar, who praised the film as “thought-provoking.”