VV Vinayak was interacting with media personnel when he was asked about our directors lifting ideas from international movies, be it Hollywood, French or Korean ones. No prizes for guessing that the ongoing 'Agnyaathavaasi' plagiarism row inspired the question.

Without taking the names of any titles or directors, the 'Khaidi No. 150' maker averred that Indian (and Telugu) films have always borrowed ideas from the international cinema. "They were never open about it, though. There was no social media to catch them. Whether you call it inspiration or copying, it has been a constant phenomenon," Vinayak said.

The 'Inttelligent' director is quite happy that films like 'Arjun Reddy' are coming out.

While he didn't say what should be done to avoid copying, Vinayak's career graph holds an answer. By teaming up with writers like Akula Shiva, the Sensational Director has explored new avenues. "I wouldn't have been able to make a 'Krishna', an 'Adhurs' but for outside writers," he said.