'Eega' makers issue copyright notice to Malayalam film 'Lovely' over housefly CGI design

CHENNAI: The makers of Eega (released in Tamil as Naan Ee) have issued a legal notice to the Malayalam film Lovely, alleging copyright infringement over the use of a housefly design resembling that of their film.

According to media reports, the notice claims that the housefly character design is the exclusive intellectual property of the Eega team, who hold sole rights to all visual, aesthetic, and narrative elements of the film. “Any reproduction or imitation of this character, without our client’s explicit consent, constitutes copyright infringement under applicable law,” the notice stated.

However, Lovely director Dileesh Karunakaran has strongly denied the allegations of plagiarism. He asserted that the CGI for the film was developed independently and that the team possesses evidence to support this.

Released in 2012, Eega drew widespread acclaim for its unique storyline and realistic CGI, particularly the portrayal of the housefly, making it a milestone in director SS Rajamouli’s career. Bankrolled by Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram, the film had Kiccha Sudeep, Samantha and Nani in pivotal roles.

Meanwhile, Lovely, which hit theatres on May 16, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Mathew Thomas in lead, the film was produced by Western Ghats Productions. The cast also included Unnimaya Prasad, Manoj K Jayan and Aswathy Manoharan.