Claim: Before the release of the film Kannadasan, author N. R. Dasan accused Balachander of plagiarising Verum Mann which was eventually taken to the Madras High Court where Dasan won the case, where the judge ordered Balachander to pay him ₹1,000.
Evidence: Before the film's release, author N. R. Dasan accused Balachander of plagiarising Verum Mann, a story he had written for the magazine Kannadasan. The matter was taken to the Madras High Court, and Dasan won the case. Although he did not seek money, the judge ordered Balachander to pay him ₹1,000 (equivalent to ₹23,000 or US$320 in 2019) as a fine.