Barely hours after Allu Arjun and director Atlee announced their highly anticipated collaboration on April 8, the project has found itself embroiled in a plagiarism row.
Sun Pictures proudly revealed that the announcement video for the film, tentatively titled AA 22, had crossed 6 million views on YouTube within hours. But the excitement was short-lived, as netizens were quick to spot a glaring issue.
Several users on social media pointed out that the teaser poster bore striking similarities to the poster of the 2021 Hollywood sci-fi hit Dune.
From the color palette to the desert backdrop and visual tone, the comparisons were hard to miss. Users on X (formerly Twitter) didn’t hold back, with one commenting, “Seriously, Dune, Atlee?” and another writing, “They really think the audience won’t notice?”
The backlash also reignited criticism of Atlee’s filmmaking style, with some accusing him of regularly borrowing from other films.
The director has previously faced similar allegations regarding his past works, where he's been called out for drawing inspiration from both Hollywood and South Korean cinema.
Responding to such accusations in the past, Atlee had said, “Do you think only I face such criticism in cinema? Many great filmmakers have been accused of the same. In a creative field, it’s possible for ideas to overlap.”
So far, neither Atlee nor Sun Pictures have issued any official response to the current controversy.
Despite the buzz, this unexpected backlash has cast an early shadow over what was billed as one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious projects.
