Sayani Gupta Files ₹9 Crore Defamation Suit Over Plagiarism Claims

Actor and filmmaker Sayani Gupta has filed a defamation suit before the Mumbai City Civil Court against filmmaker Vinita Negi seeking ₹9 crore in damages [Sayani Gupta v. Vinita Negi & Ors.]The suit also names tech companies like Meta and Reddit, alongside Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, as defendants .An application for urgent hearing and interim orders is likely to be listed before additional sessions judge Shudhirkumar Murlidharrao Bukke on September 3.The dispute stems from Gupta’s directorial debut, a short fiction film titled Aasmani. Negi, an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), accused Gupta of copyright infringement and breach of trust.Negi alleged that Aasmani heavily borrowed from her unfinished documentary Prabha. Both projects feature an elderly woman and a vintage car. Gupta’s suit has now claimed that Negi's allegations are false, misleading, unsubstantiated and defamatory. As per her plea, copyright law protects original expression, not abstract ideas."The mere presence of an elderly woman, a car, a driver or any other generic element in a creative work does not confer upon Negi a monopoly over such ideas or concepts,” the suit states.According to the suit, Negi filed a complaint with the Screenwriters Association (SWA) in April 2026. While the SWA proceedings were still pending, Negi allegedly circulated a "Statement of Support" on WhatsApp and social media to mobilize industry backing for her allegations. This p