Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Jeffrey Archer Dies at 86 After Criticising Bollywood
Jeffrey Archer was a British author and former politician who died at 86.
His publisher said he died peacefully at home on October 5, but did not give a cause.
He wrote books for five decades, and more than 300 million copies were sold around the world.
His final novel, Adam & Eve, is due to be published this week.
In 2015, Archer said that some Bollywood films had used ideas from his books without permission.
He named Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and Khudgarz.
He said those films drew on Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less and Kane & Abel.
The supplied articles do not report a response from the filmmakers to his claims.
Archer also made official deals to adapt some of his work in India, but a planned television series did not happen.
Publisher HarperCollins said Jeffrey Archer died suddenly and peacefully at home on October 5; no cause was disclosed.
Archer’s five-decade writing career included more than 300 million books sold worldwide, and his final novel, Adam & Eve, is due out this week.
In a 2015 interview, Archer called Bollywood filmmakers “a bunch of thieves” and alleged that films had used his stories without permission.
He said Ladies vs Ricky Bahl drew on Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, and Khudgarz on Kane & Abel; the supplied articles report no response from the filmmakers.
Archer also sold Indian adaptation rights for First Among Equals and the short story “A La Carte”; a planned television series based on the novel did not materialize.
- Who
- Jeffrey Archer, British author and former politician.
- What
- Archer died at 86; he had previously accused Bollywood films of drawing on his novels without permission.
- When
- His death was announced as occurring on October 5; the year is not specified in the articles. His allegations were made in 2015.
- Where
- Archer died at home; the location is not specified. His comments concerned Bollywood and the Indian film industry.
- Why
- The cause of death was not disclosed. Archer said he believed films had used his stories without permission or compensation.
Archer’s allegations
Reported context
Whether the films copied his stories
Archer’s allegations
Archer alleged that Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and Khudgarz drew on his novels without permission or compensation.
Reported context
The articles present this as Archer’s allegation and describe similarities between the plots; they do not establish that the films copied the books or report a response from the filmmakers.
- Age
- 86
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Books sold
- More than 300 million worldwide
- Writing career
- Five decades
- Final novel
- Adam & Eve; due out this week
- Films Archer named
- Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011) and Khudgarz (1987)
- Books he said inspired the films
- Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less and Kane & Abel
- Indian adaptation deals
- Rights for First Among Equals and “A La Carte” were reportedly sold for Rs 1.5 crore
Sources
When Jeffrey Archer called Bollywood ‘bunch of thieves’ for stealing his bestseller plots
Jeffrey Archer Dies At 86: When The British Author Called Bollywood 'A Bunch Of Thieves' Over Alleged Story Plagiarism