Kondurkar Studio denies idea theft as W+K claims credit for Jindal Steel’s Cannes Lions-winning film

Kondurkar Studio has responded to the dispute arising from the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, where their ad film ‘The Steel of India’ won accolades in the Film Craft category. The controversy involves Wieden+Kennedy and Jindal Steel and Power, with W+K alleging intellectual property rights infringement.

According to Kondurkar Studio, they were identified as the creators on the Cannes Lions submission form, clarifying that their involvement began after founder Amrish Kondurkar had left W+K in January 2023. They assert that Jindal Steel and Power approached them independently for a pitch in July of the same year.

The studio underscores that the campaign’s core focus was always on highlighting the strength of steel and India’s resilience, themes intrinsic to any advertisement in this domain. They refute claims of copyright infringement based on misleading screenshots and emphasize that the film’s substance far exceeds the narrative suggested by these isolated images.

Referring to the Delhi High Court’s ruling, Kondurkar Studio maintains that the court found no wrongdoing on their part, affirming that the campaign was conceived and executed independently. They dismiss W+K’s claim for credit, asserting that every aspect of the film’s creation—from director briefings to production and post-production—was carried out autonomously by Kondurkar Studio and Early Man Film.

The studio concludes by emphasizing the integrity of its creative process and its commitment to defending its role in developing ‘The Steel of India’ without any collaboration with W+K during its production.