Controversy Erupts Over Malayalam Film Thudarum: Allegations of Plagiarism
Accusations of Plagiarism Against Thudarum
Following its release two months ago, the Malayalam hit Thudarum, featuring Mohanlal and Shobana, is now facing serious allegations. Filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan claims that the film has copied elements from his unpublished script, Theeyattam. With a worldwide gross of Rs 234.5 crore, Thudarum has become the third highest-grossing Malayalam film in history, but these new accusations could tarnish its reputation.
In a post on social media, Sanal expressed his belief that the storyline of Thudarum closely resembles that of his 2020 script, Theeyattam.
He stated, “I watched Thudarum and found it to be constructed by appropriating the framework of my screenplay, Theeyattam, which I penned in 2020. The essence of my story remains intact; either due to the creators' inability to grasp its depth or their intentional effort to obscure it in their rewrite.”
Sanal's original narrative revolves around an auto-rickshaw driver named Ambi, who becomes a suspect in a murder case when a severed head is discovered in his vehicle. He elaborated, “My plot focuses on Ambi, who is wrongfully accused by the police after a murder occurs in his auto-rickshaw, leaving behind a severed head. A significant line from my screenplay, ‘Konnaal paapam thinnaal theerum’ (meaning, ‘the sin of killing is absolved on eating’), is included in this film, even though it feels unnecessary. Even the most skilled thieves can make mistakes, and I believe this was one such oversight.”
Sanal also mentioned that he had initially pitched Theeyattam to Century Films, with actors like Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Murali Gopy, and Sudheer Karamana involved. “They have all read the screenplay. Given that five years have passed, they might have forgotten it. I plan to share my screenplay soon,” he added.
Thudarum was crafted by writer KR Sunil and directed by Tharun Moorthy, produced by M Renjith under the Rejaputhra Visual Media banner. In addition to Mohanlal and Shobana, the cast includes Prakash Varma, Binu Pappu, Farhaan Faasil, and Aarsha Chandini Baiju. The film debuted on JioHotstar on May 30 after a successful theatrical release.