Contary to the reports and speculation on the internet that the Turkish film is actually an official remake of Black, a member of Sanjay Bhansali's production team says the filmmaker had no idea that Black was remade until a friend called to tell him about the uncanny similarities that Benim Dunyam shared in its trailer with Black.
Says the source close to SLB. `The Turkish film is bolt from the blue. No one has approached Mr Bhansali for the rights. It is an unauthorized illegal remake.Indian filmmakers are constantly accused of lifting from foreign sources. Benim Dunyam seems blatantly plagiarized version of Black.`
With the Turkish film poised for release on October 25 the legal team from SLB's production office is all set to get seriously legal with the plagiarists.
The source also adds that no attempt was ever made by the Turkish director Ugur Yucel to obtain remake rights.
Says the source, `When Black was released there were offers from Spain and America for remake rights. But Mr Bhansali never paid any attention.`
Interestingly a few months after Sanjay Bhansali's directorial debut Khamoshi: The Musical was released a German film Beyond Silence about a young girl's struggle to stay put in her deaf-and-mute parents' world was also released. Small world.