Filmmaker claims Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’ copied plot from his short film

CHENNAI: Short film director Mohamed Sherif has lodged a complaint with the Madurai City Police Commissioner, alleging that filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj used the storyline of his 2021 short film without his permission for the recently released film Dorothy, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

According to the complaint, Sherif, who runs a mobile phone shop in Madurai, made a three-minute short film titled Dot Nanga during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. He said the film, which focused on the transgender community, received considerable attention after he posted it on social media and was also appreciated by members of the community.

Sherif said he had planned to develop the short film into a feature but the project was delayed. He later watched Dorothy after some people who had seen the film contacted him and pointed out similarities with his short film.

After watching the movie, Sherif alleged that its storyline had been taken from his short film without his consent. He has sought legal action against Karthik Subbaraj and the production company.

Dorothy follows two childhood friends (Rishikanth, Sananth Reddy) who grow up inseparable in rural Tamil Nadu, a world shaped by caste, violence, and toxic masculinity. Their lives are transformed by the arrival of Dorothy (Keerthy Suresh), a woman whose compassion quietly challenges the world around them. In DT Next's review of the film, we wrote, "Dorothy may not be a comfortable watch for everyone, but Karthik Subbaraj deserves credit for confronting toxic masculinity, transgender prejudice and society’s obsession with defining what is normal."

Dorothy had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11. It is the first Tamil feature film to premiere at TIFF in a decade and received a standing ovation.