New Delhi, June 17
Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Sasidharan has accused the makers of Mohanlal film 'Thudarum' of allegedly plagiarising the screenplay of his yet to be released film 'Theeyattam'.
'Thudarum' directed by Tharun Moorthy is considered among the successful Malayalam films of this year.
In a lengthy Facebook post, director Sasidharan accused the makers of Thudarum of plagiarising the screenplay of his film Theeyattam, which he wrote in 2020.
His social media post, written in Malayalam, loosely translates as "I saw the movie Thudarum. It's made by stealing the skeleton of my screenplay, Theeyattam, which I wrote in 2020. The core of it remains safe, either because they (the makers of Thudarum) lacked the intelligence to understand its essence or because they deliberately avoided it in their attempt to rewrite it unrecognisably."
Sasidharan claimed that his story revolved around an auto-rickshaw driver named Ambi who was framed by the police after someone committed murder inside his vehicle. This plot, he said, bears similarity to Mohanlal's 'Thudarum'.
Providing evidence for the alleged plagirism of his screenplay, the director said that makers of 'Thudarum' "unnecessarily" used one of his dialogues in the film, which he considers a major "slip-up" from the makers.
"A crucial dialogue from my screenplay, 'Konnaal paapam thinnaal theerum' (a proverb meaning, 'the sin of killing is absolved on eating') is used in this film despite being completely unnecessary. Even expert thieves, skilled at stealing without leaving a trace, can forget themselves due to certain whims. I felt the use of this dialogue was one such slip-up," he explained as he levelled allegations against the makers of 'Thudarum'.
The 'S Durga' director also claimed that he had allegedly pitched his story to Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas and Sudheer Karamana.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan also claimed that he had pitched his story to Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas and Sudheer Karamana to play crucial roles. However, the film was shelved for unknown reasons.
The filmmaker said that he will share his 'Theeyattam' screenplay on Facebook so that people can see the similarities.
"All of them have read the screenplay. Since five years is a long period, it's possible that they may have forgotten about it. I will be publishing my screenplay here soon," he concluded his note.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16hh7zawtg/
Sanal Sasidharan is known for his films, including S Durga, Chola and Vazhakku.
As for 'Thudarum', the film was a blockbuster at the box office. This minimal budget film earned over Rs 150 crore worldwide.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is really disappointing if true. Malayalam cinema has always been known for original content. Hope the truth comes out soon. We shouldn't tolerate plagiarism in any industry, especially creative fields.
As someone who loved Thudarum, this news is shocking! But we should hear both sides before jumping to conclusions. The dialogue similarity is suspicious though 🤔 Hope Mohanlal sir responds to this soon.
Why do such controversies always come after a film becomes successful? If Sanal Sasidharan had proof, he should have spoken up before the release. Now it just looks like sour grapes.
The Malayalam film industry should set up an independent committee to investigate such claims. Many small filmmakers suffer but don't have the voice to speak up. #JusticeForOriginalCreators
I've seen both directors' works. Sanal makes very different kind of films compared to commercial ones like Thudarum. The core plot does sound similar though. Let's wait for the screenplay proof.
As a film student, this scares me 😟 If big productions can steal from indie filmmakers, what hope do newcomers have? Hope this case brings more awareness about protecting creative rights.
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