(This article is authored by Alar)

The much-awaited historical drama ‘Captain Miller’, starring Dhanush and Nimmashivanna in the lead roles, hit the screens on January 12th, Friday, and has received a thunderous response from critics and audiences alike. The film, based on the true story of a brave Dalit leader who fought against British oppression and caste discrimination in the pre-independence era, has raked in a whopping 63 crores in its first week of release, worldwide.

The film, directed by Arun Matheshwaran, is a gripping tale of courage, sacrifice, and love, that showcases the struggle of the oppressed castes for the right to enter temples, a basic human right that was denied to them for centuries.

The film has been praised for its authentic portrayal of the historical period, its powerful performances, its captivating music, and its inspiring message. The film has also been appreciated for its bold and honest depiction of the social evils that plagued the society, and the heroic resistance that challenged them.

However, the film has also landed in controversy, as the author Vela Ramamoorthy has accused the ‘Captain Miller’ team of stealing the story of his novel ‘Pattathu Yaanai’, published by Discovery Publishing. The author, who is known for his realistic and hard-hitting novels, has claimed that the film has copied the plot, the characters, and the scenes from his book, without his permission or acknowledgement.

The author’s associate, Vediyappan M. Munusamy, has also taken to his social media page to express the writer’s concern over the plagiarism issue, and has urged the creators to voice out on this matter. He wrote, "It is only recently that many directors from the Tamil film industry are turning back to reading books. and they search for and buy new books. Reading should help them understand their knowledge and art culture and create new ones. There are many,"

"But it is dangerous to understand that some people just make money by stealing stories from novels. Recently, this trend has increased, and it is not healthy. What could be so stupid as stealing a creator's work? Author Vela Ramamoorthy has accused the Captain Miller movie of blatant plagiarism of his novel Pattathu Yaanai, published by Discovery Publishing. Creators should voice out on this issue"

The ‘Captain Miller’ team has not yet responded to the allegations and has maintained a silence on the issue.  The plagiarism controversy, however, has not affected the film’s box office performance, as the film grossed 63 crores in one week of it's release.

The film also features a stellar cast of actors, including Telugu star Sundeep Kishan, who plays a ruthless British officer, and Priyanka Arul Mohan, who plays the love interest of Dhanush. The film also boasts of a talented technical crew, including cinematographer Siddhartha Nuni, editor Nagooran, and dialogue writer Madhan Karky, who has contributed to the film’s script.