Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming Netflix film Gandhari has landed in trouble, with writer Kalyan Bandi alleging that the film’s story is based on his concept. While producer Kanika Dhillon’s Kathha Pictures denied the accusations and stated that its their original work, the writer claimed that he wrote a similar concept years ago. Gandhari is based on a mother (played by Pannu) who sets out to find her kidnapped daughter.Kalyan Bandi, an IIT Madras alumnus, who is currently working as an Inspector with Central GST and Customs, alleged that he had written and registered a story titled Gandhari in 2019, exploring the same story base of a mother who becomes a fierce goddess as she gets caught up in a child-trafficking racket.During a recent interview with India Today, Bandi revealed that he had pitched the story to Monika Shergill in 2019, who was working with Voot back then, and is now the Vice President at Netflix. Since then, he has been raising concerns over the Gandhari’s origins and alleged that he even sent a legal notice in September 2025, demanding monetary compensation and due credit.The writer further claimed that he initially approached Shergill on LinkedIn in 2019, and sent his eight-page story and two-page synopsis of Gandhari to her, in the very month. The script was acknowledged within a few weeks, but he was told that the story did not fit the company’s commissioning slate. Bandi added that he had registered the story in the Screenwriters Association around the same time, and continued working on the idea.ALSO READ | Kangana Ranaut calls Taapsee Pannu a ‘sasti copy’ after remark on her ‘upbringing’In 2023, he reached out to Baweja Studios, after which, discussions about the screenplay went on for five to six months, while he also sent his pitch to JioHotstar. Later in 2025, Gandhari was announced on Netflix, which left him in shock. According to the writer, the title instantly grabbed his attention, but he did not jump to conclusions. After hearing about the details of the project, he noticed the similarities and raised the problem.Reacting to the production house’ recent statement regarding plagiarism, Bandi said, “Only I can connect the title to the concept because it was my creativity. How can it be credited to Kanika Dhillon?” He even revealed that production houses with whom he was in discussions, backed out after the announcement, further leading to financial and professional losses for him. His lawyer advised him to take the legal route, but he cannot afford the expenses of a prolonged court case.Story continues below this ad“I don’t even want money. Just say thank you and acknowledge that it was my idea,” he said, adding, “I’ll be very happy if they can prove to me that this is not my story.”On Monday, Kanika Dhillon‘s Kathha Pictures refuted writer Kalyan Bandi’s claims about using his concept to make Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari. “Our attention has been drawn to allegations circulating on social media and in certain publications to the effect that our forthcoming film Gandhari copies another person’s concept and uses that person’s title. These allegations are false, and we deny them unequivocally,” the statement read.View this post on InstagramIt further added, “Gandhari is an original work, written and produced by Ms. Kanika Dhillon and developed by Kathha Pictures. Its story and screenplay are Ms. Dhillon’s own work. We request the media, digital platforms and members of the public to treat these allegations as what they are, namely unverified and false, and to refrain from publishing, circulating or repeating them as established fact.”Directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, Gandhari stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead role, alongside Ishwak Singh. The film is set to release on Netflix, on September 3.