Nani's 'Hi Nanna' Faces Plagiarism Allegations From Kannada Producer Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah

Hi Nanna Faces Plagiarism Allegations: Telugu actor Nani's latest release, Hi Nanna, has come under scrutiny after plagiarism allegations surfaced. Kannada producer Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah, known for his work on several hit films, has accused the makers of Hi Nanna of copying content from his 2020 Kannada film, Bheemasena Nalamaharaja, without obtaining the official remake rights.

Accusations on Social Media

As reported by Pinkvilla, Mallikarjunaiah took to Instagram stories to voice his concerns. In a now-deleted post, he juxtaposed posters of both films, claiming that Hi Nanna had been made by directly copying elements from Bheemasena Nalamaharaja. He also criticized Nani, tagging him in the post and calling the act "cheap."

Despite the serious nature of these claims, neither Nani nor Shouryuv, the debutant director of Hi Nanna, has officially responded to the allegations.

About Hi Nanna

Hi Nanna is a Telugu romantic drama, helmed by Shouryuv and produced by Vyra Entertainments. Starring Nani and Mrunal Thakur, the film was announced in January 2023 under the working title Nani 30, marking Nani's 30th film as a lead actor. The official title was revealed in July 2023.

Principal photography began in February 2023 and spanned multiple locations, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Coonoor. The film was completed by September 2023. Hi Nanna features music by Hesham Abdul Wahab, cinematography by Sanu John Varghese, and editing by Praveen Anthony.

Released on December 7, 2023, Hi Nanna garnered positive reviews from critics and achieved commercial success, reportedly grossing over ₹74 crore worldwide.

About Bheemasena Nalamaharaja

Released in 2020, Bheemasena Nalamaharaja is a Kannada-language drama film directed by Karthik Saragur and produced by Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah, Rakshit Shetty, and Hemanth M. Rao. The film stars Aravinnd Iyer, Aarohi Narayan, Priyanka, Aadya, and Achyut Kumar.

Charan Raj composed the soundtrack, while Ravindranath handled cinematography. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was directly released on Amazon Prime Video on October 29, 2020, as part of the platform's Great Indian Festival lineup.

The allegations have prompted discussions within the film industry, but the makers of Hi Nanna have not yet publicly addressed the claims. It is unclear whether legal action will be taken or if the matter will be resolved amicably.