DSC clears Gupta's 'Aasmani,' says only underlying idea matched 'Prabha'
Sayani Gupta's first film as a director, Aasmani, is officially in the clear after being accused of copying another filmmaker's work.
Vinia Negi claimed Aasmani borrowed ideas from her unfinished documentary, Prabha, especially the focus on an elderly woman and a vintage car.
But the Screenwriters Association's Dispute Settlement Committee (DSC) found that while both stories shared only the underlying idea, their storytelling, character development, conflict, and story arc were actually quite different.
Gupta seeks damages and apology
On September 13, 2026, the DSC said copyright law protects how you tell a story, not just general ideas or topics, especially when it's based on real events.
Despite this win for Gupta, the controversy did cause some setbacks: Aasmani was withdrawn from the Indian Film Festival of New Zealand (TIFFNZ), and Gupta ended up filing (and winning) a defamation case against Negi.
She's now seeking damages and an unconditional apology and public retraction; with some legal matters still ongoing, it looks like this story isn't quite over yet.