Prasanth Narayana Accuses Gopika Varma of Utilising ‘Chayamukhi’ Without His Consent

on Oct 28, 2022

A mystical mirror called Chayamukhi has the power to reflect a person's thoughts. The drama, which has received widespread acclaim and was inspired by the epic Mahabharata by writer Prasanth Narayanan, is currently embroiled in a copyright dispute.

The author has filed a lawsuit against the dancer Gopika Varma, claiming that she stole his idea and used it as the basis for a dance play. Renowned dancer Gopika Varma has won several awards, including the Kalaimamani and Sangeetha Nataka Akademi awards.

In response to the accusation, Gopika Varma stated that she was unaware that Chayamukhi was a notion created by the author and that she had originally derived it from online accounts about the Mahabharata.

Prasanth Narayanan wrote Chayamukhi in 1996, and it was first presented on stage in 2003. In 2003, the play was chosen for the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award. Actors Mohanlal and Mukesh played the parts of Bhima and Keechaka in the drama, which later made ripples across the nation when it was staged in 2008.

According to the legend, during the 12-year exile of the Pandavas, Hidumbi, the Nishada lady who married Bhima, gave the prince the magical mirror Chayamukhi. The mirror could magically reveal the true love of whoever looked into it.

There is no such narrative in the Mahabharata, according to Prasanth Narayanan, who claims that the idea is his fabrication. "I came up with the name Chayamukhi on my own. The play is so well-known that Mohanlal and Mukesh's theatrical performance of it made the news. The play was released as a book that went through two editions. I have no issues with the idea being used for a dance, but the artist needs to appreciate my originality. Here, the dancer asserts that she developed the idea. I've gone to court to prove my intellectual property rights, Prasanth said to a media outlet.

Prasanth said that he had only recently learned about the dance play and that he had seen a video of the performance before going to court. "Even if she insists that it was her idea, she should accept that it was a notion I came up with. She ought to have asked my consent before utilizing it," he claimed.

Gopika Varma responded to the argument by claiming she was unaware that Prasanth Narayanan invented the idea of Chayamukhi.

"I appreciate Prasanth Narayanan as a writer, and I don't intend to do him any mental or emotional harm.

Gopika Varma responded to the argument by claiming she was unaware that Prasanth Narayanan invented the idea of Chayamukhi.

"I appreciate Prasanth Narayanan as a writer, and I don't intend to do him any mental or emotional harm.