From the beginning, Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh was rumored to be a remake of the 2016 Tamil film Theri, starring Thalapathy Vijay. Director Harish Shankar clarified in interviews that it is an original story. However, the core plot of Theri appears to be used in Ustaad Bhagat Singh.
During the pre-release promotions, Harish Shankar stated he wrote the story and dialogues himself and credited himself for “Story, Screenplay, and Direction” to emphasize its originality.
Similarities Between Theri and Ustaad Bhagat Singh
Theri follows a clash between an honest police officer and a corrupt politician. The politician’s son commits a brutal crime, leading to a direct confrontation with the hero. In response, the villain attacks the hero’s family and kills his wife and mother, believing the hero is dead.
But the hero survives and promises his wife to live a violence-free life for the sake of his daughter’s safety. He comes back to clash with the Villain after a crucial incident again.
In Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, the outlook is completely different. However, in the flashback, the film has the point of a Police officer vs a minister/politician. The hospital scene is almost the same, with dialogues also being very similar, when the Hero meets the victim of rape.
The Flashback Connection
The hero’s mother and wife getting killed is present in UBS as well. The only difference is that the Villain does not attempt to kill the hero. Instead, he says that the hero should live by crying over his lost wife and a happy life because of him.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh follows a tribal boy who becomes an honest officer. While it adds new elements, the core hero vs villain conflict and flashback scenes feel very similar to Theri.
Did Production Delays Change the Story?
Reports suggest Ustaad Bhagat Singh began as a remake of Theri with modifications for Pawan Kalyan’s image. Later, delays due to his political commitments and other films led to further changes in the script.
Despite Harish Shankar’s claims of originality, the similarities sparked fresh debates among fans and critics about whether Ustaad Bhagat Singh is truly original or a cleverly disguised remake of Theri.