Asim Abbasi’s Churails has caused a stir around the world ever since it premiered on ZEE5.
Based on the harsh realities of our society, the series is a gritty, path breaking narrative that brings a fresh perspective to our screens.
However, last month, a Twitter user named Amna Tariq highlighted that the opening sequence of the show is eerily similar to another illustration by French illustrator, Malika Favre.
Sharing two pictures on her account that were almost exactly the same, she tweeted, “Half a minute into the web series #Churails and I spot some blatant plagiarism in the opening credits. Malika Favre’s powerful illustration has been quite conveniently ripped off.”
https://twitter.com/amna_tq/status/1296512817936371714?s=20
The illustrator, Malika Favre, responded to the tweet, saying’ “Oh god, that IS bad! Thanks for sharing. Will look into it.”
Now, the director has finally broken his silence on the matter.
“A few weeks ago the issue regarding the plagiarism/usage of an illustration created by French artist Malika Favre in Churails was brought to our attention. We immediately reached out to Malika to take the necessary measures to rectify the situation,” Abbasi Tweeted.
3. My silence on this matter was due to the production house needing time to complete the corrective process, which it now has. I strongly believe that the rights of all artists must be protected and upheld at all times and would like to personally apologise for this oversight.
— Asim Abbasi (@IllicitusProduc) September 18, 2020
Clearing the name of the production house, the cake director added, “Due to an oversight by the production house, the animation studio was provided the said artwork and given the authorisation to use it.”
Abbasi also explained why he didn’t address the matter earlier. “My silence on this matter was due to the production house needing time to complete the corrective process, which it now has. I strongly believe that the rights of all artists must be protected and upheld at all times and would like to personally apologise for this oversight.”
‘Churails’ is about four women who set up a detective agency under the cover of a fashion boutique to expose adulterers but face some difficulties in doing so. The narrative of the show valiantly slams patriarchal societies for depriving women of their rights.
Marking the digital debut of director Asim Abbasi, ‘Churails‘ houses a star-studded cast including Sarwat Gilani, Mehar Bano, Yasra Rizvi and Nimra Bucha in the lead.
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