ONE of China’s biggest film and television stars has been whacked with a very strange lawsuit, claiming her stare damaged a viewer’s spirit.

Local media report Zhao Wei is being sued by a Shanghai man over her role in the TV series Tiger Mum, which debuted in May and centres on a couple’s differing approach to raising their daughter.

But it was Zhao’s gaze, rather than the subject matter, that upset the man — and he’s off to court to seek compensation.

According to Associated Press, Zhao plays “a big-eyed mother” who relentlessly pushes her daughter’s development, while the father wants his child to have more freedom.

The Legal Daily said the plaintiff was alleging Zhao’s stare caused him “spiritual damage.”

Rules making it easier to file lawsuits in China have led to a new concern over frivolous claims, such as this suit.

The regulations making it more difficult for courts to reject lawsuits took effect May 1, leading to an increase in cases nationwide last month of 29 per cent compared with same period last year, to just over one million cases, according to the Supreme People’s Court.

The registration system requires courts to accept legitimate lawsuits when they are filed or clearly state the reasons for rejecting them, and citizens have the right to appeal the decisions.

“Previously, it was difficult for administrative cases, such as people suing governments, to be accepted,” said Li Heping, a Beijing lawyer.

In announcing the registration system, the official Xinhua News Agency said: “Authorities are determined to put an end to obstructive behaviour by courts and officials meddling in cases.”

The change has led to Shanghai Pudong New District Court receiving a case against Zhao, the court’s litigation service hotline confirmed. The court official, who declined to identify himself, refused to say whether the court had accepted the case.

Gan Wen, deputy head of a case-filing chamber under the Supreme Court, said at a news conference Tuesday that the Zhao case was an example of citizens abusing their right to file lawsuits.

“It’s not necessary to waste our judicial resources on cases like these,” Gan said.

AP