Mumbai: The film ‘Homebound’ has landed in legal trouble following plagiarism allegations levelled by journalist and author Puja Changoiwala, who claims the film copies her 2021 novel of the same name.

Responding to the controversy, Dharma Productions told India Today that the matter is being handled legally.

Changoiwala has initiated legal proceedings against Dharma Productions and Netflix Entertainment Services India and is preparing to approach the Bombay High Court, alleging copyright infringement. According to her, a legal notice was issued after she watched the film, which was released in theatres on September 26, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

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In an email response to Hindustan Times, Changoiwala confirmed that her lawyer had sent the legal notice and said the move came after she completed the mandatory pre-institution mediation process under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. She has alleged what she describes as extensive infringement of her work.

Changoiwala claimed that after viewing the film, she noticed substantial similarities in the second half, including scenes, dialogue, narrative structure, sequencing of events and overall creative expression. She also pointed out that both her novel and the film are set against the backdrop of the 2020 COVID-19 migrant exodus.

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The makers of Homebound, however, have maintained that the film is inspired by a 2020 New York Times article by journalist Basharat Peer, titled "A Friendship, a Pandemic, and a Death Beside the Highway," which examined the experiences of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The film has recently garnered international attention after being selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards and making it to the December shortlist.

Changoiwala has said she will seek multiple remedies, including a permanent injunction against the film’s distribution, removal of all allegedly infringing material, a change in the film’s title and monetary damages. Addressing the power imbalance in the dispute, she stated that pursuing legal action was necessary to protect writers from having their work misappropriated without consent.