Way of the Dragon
The basic plot of "The Way of the Dragon" (1972) was adapted by Varma for "Siva". In "The Way of the Dragon", Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) comes from Hong Kong to work in a Chinese restaurant in Rome and fights local gangsters who try to intimidate the owners; this leads to a rivalry with a crime boss (Chuck Norris). In "Siva", Nagarjuna comes from a nearby town to Vijayawada to further his education, fights gangsters and develops a rivalry with Raghuvaran. While Lee and Norris fight at the Colosseum at the climax of "The Way of the Dragon", Nagarjuna and Raghuvaran duel on a building terrace in "Siva".