As a seasoned gamer and avid Netflix viewer with a keen eye for detail, I must say that the ongoing plagiarism lawsuit against “Squid Game” has certainly caught my attention. Having watched both the Korean drama and the Indian film “Luck,” I can’t help but notice the striking similarities between the two. While it’s always fascinating to see how different cultures interpret similar ideas, it’s a bit concerning when one work seems to have been heavily influenced by another.
2021 saw me getting hooked on “Squid Game,” a Korean drama that quickly became a global sensation. In this series, a motley crew of struggling individuals find themselves participating in a deadly competition where life-threatening versions of childhood games are played out. The prize for the winner is enormous, but the losers face immediate elimination – making it clear that the risks involved are nothing short of astronomical. This grim depiction of capitalism presents a stark reality where people risk everything, even their lives, in a desperate pursuit of wealth, be it dollars or won as in this case.
Upon its initial release on streaming platforms, “Squid Game” quickly became one of the most popular shows on Netflix. This series garnered numerous Emmy nominations, making history as the first non-English language program to be nominated for the best drama series category. In addition, lead actor Lee Jung-jae was awarded the title of best leading actor in a drama series. The show has been renewed for two more seasons, with the second and third installments set to premiere on Netflix in December 2024 and mid-2025.
However, despite the immense popularity of “Squid Game,” it’s currently embroiled in a plagiarism lawsuit, only three months prior to the anticipated release of its second season. The director, Soham Shah, alleges that the narrative of the Netflix hit was copied from his 2009 Hindi film titled “Luck.
Squid Game bears a strong similarity to Indian drama Luck
As Soham Shah points out, the plot of “Squid Game” seems strikingly similar to his own film “Luck,” which he might even find suspiciously so. In “Luck,” like in “Squid Game,” a massive group of people struggling financially are lured into an enigmatic competition. However, they soon realize that losing means death for all participants. Interestingly, “Luck” also depicted the wealthy classes who not only observed the games but also wagered on their results. Released on 1,150 screens in India and another 150 screens internationally in 2009.
Apart from filing a lawsuit against writer Hwang Dong-hyuk for accusations of plagiarism, Shah is also taking action against Netflix. He asserts that the streaming platform could have seen “Luck” when it was first released, allowing them to potentially draw inspiration for “Squid Game.” As reported by India Today, Shah stated in his complaint, “The main storyline, characters, motifs, atmosphere, setting, and sequence of events in Squid Game bear an uncanny resemblance to that of Luck, making it highly improbable that these similarities are mere coincidence.” In response, Netflix has stated, “This claim is baseless. Squid Game was solely created by and written by Hwang Dong Hyuk, and we will strongly defend this case.
This isn’t the first time Squid Game has faced controversy
As soon as “Squid Game” proved to be an instant hit, Netflix quickly released a reality TV spin-off titled “Squid Game: The Challenge,” airing in November 2023. Despite not killing off eliminated players like the original show, concerns arose that the program was mistreating its contestants by making them work under potentially hazardous conditions. In February 2023, Rolling Stone published reports of participants sharing their difficult experiences on set, claiming that the games were manipulated and downright dangerous. “It was the most heartless and cruel experience I’ve ever encountered,” one participant stated. “We were like racehorses in the cold, and they treated us like horses, while the races themselves were rigged.
In November 2023, it was reported that Netflix faced potential legal action due to contestants claiming they suffered from hypothermia and nerve damage because of inadequate health and safety conditions on set, which allegedly included spending prolonged periods in an unheated warehouse and receiving treatment for effects caused by extreme cold. However, as of September 2024, no official lawsuit appears to have been filed.
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2024-09-14 20:29