Leo: 8 controversies, from plagiarism to smoking in song and legal battle over morning shows

Thalapathy Vijay in a still from Lokesh Kanagaraj-directed 'Leo'.

Thalapathy Vijay's highly anticipated film, Leo, seems to be caught in a never-ending storm of controversies. From the day of the film's announcement to the present, even after its release in theatres, it has been surrounded by one controversy after another. Making things worse, the film received a negative response right from the very first show. There have been a lot of expectations over this film for quite some time now but due to various reasons, the film did not garner the much needed hype or attention.

Anirudh Ravichander faces plagiarism charges

Anirudh Ravichander, currently one of the most reliable musicians in the Tamil film music industry and gaining recognition on a pan-Indian level, found himself in the spotlight again with the release of Leo. However, a plagiarism accusation has emerged tainting his image. A significant number of listeners noted that Ordinary Person from Leo bore a resemblance to Belarusian musician Otnicka's track Where Are You?

Concerns about the similarity between the two tracks were raised in the comment sections on YouTube and Instagram, where Otnicka received multiple notifications from his fans. Otnicka responded, stating that no one had sought permission to use his track.

Subsequently, the Belarusian musician took to Instagram to address the issue more comprehensively. He assured his followers that the matter is under investigation, and he intends to provide further updates. In his post, he expressed gratitude for the numerous messages and comments he had received about the movie Leo, acknowledging the overwhelming response. He stated, "The situation is very unclear... We are looking into this, and I will provide a detailed assessment of the ongoing developments at a later time."

Smoking controversy

The storm of controversies around Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, began when the first poster was released. The song Naa Ready featured Vijay smoking a cigarette, which some viewers claimed was glorifying smoking. This issue led to debates and discussions both online and offline. After the release of the song Naa Ready, a complaint was filed with Chennai's Commissioner of Police, Shankar Jiwal. The complaint was made by an activist named Selvam, and it raises concerns about certain scenes in the song. Selvam's complaint is related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

He alleged that the song promotes tobacco use because it shows the actor smoking. Selvam is worried that this might encourage people to use tobacco.

In addition to the smoking scenes, Selvam also believes that the song promotes rowdy behaviour and drug addiction. He's not happy about Vijay dancing with a cigarette in his mouth and consuming alcohol in the song. Selvam is concerned that 'Naa Ready' has become very popular and could influence young people to start using drugs. The complaint was filed online on June 25, and Selvam has expressed his intention to take legal action against Vijay for allegedly promoting alcohol and tobacco in the song. It's worth noting that Vijay himself has sung Naa Ready.

Background dancers controversy

The controversy expanded to the film's cast and crew when background dancers who appeared in the song Naa Ready alleged that they had not received their full remuneration for their work. This issue brought attention to the treatment of behind-the-scenes talent in the film industry.

Uncertified trailer screening

Prior to the film's release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) scrutinised theatre owners in Chennai for playing an uncertified trailer. This led to a legal notice issued by the CBFC to the theatres, further complicating the film's pre-release journey.

Theatre damage

Theatre damaged in Chennai by Vijay fans.

Vijay's fervent fan base made headlines for all the wrong reasons when they damaged theatre seats during the screening of the Leo trailer in Chennai. The extent of this damage resulted in theater owners taking a stern stance against fan celebrations inside cinemas.

Morning show restrictions

A petition filed by Seven Screen Studios Production before the Madras High Court sought permission for the film to be screened at 4 am on its release day. Despite the court's directive to reconsider the decision, the Tamil Nadu government held its ground, ultimately restricting the film's opening to 9 am.

Legal battle over the title

A still from 'Leo'.

Just a day before the Telugu release of Leo, a director filed a court case claiming the rights to the film's title. This last-minute legal dispute added to the film's list of problems. At the same time, the Telugu release did not get enough theatres as well because of the consecutive release of Balakrishna Nandamuri's Bhagavanth Kesari and Ravi Teja's Tiger Nageswara Rao. So, exhibitors and distributors had to allot theatres and make business for two big Telugu heroes and not for a Tamil-dubbed film.

Box-office flop & criticism

As if these pre-release controversies weren't enough, Leo has faced criticism from its first show and has garnered the dreaded flop talk. This has cast a shadow over the film's prospects at the box office and in the eyes of both critics and audiences.

Thalapathy Vijay's Leo has been embroiled in a web of controversies, from issues related to its content to legal battles over showtimes and titles. It has seen a limited release in rest of India. Whether Leo can overcome these controversies and find success remains to be seen.