New Delhi [India], June 17: Acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has publicly accused the creators of the blockbuster film Thudarum, starring Mohanlal, of plagiarising the screenplay of his unreleased project Theeyattam.
In a detailed Facebook post written in Malayalam, Sasidharan alleged that the storyline of Thudarum, directed by Tharun Moorthy, closely mirrors that of Theeyattam, which he wrote in 2020. The post claims the “skeleton” of his original screenplay was used without permission, although the essence of it may have been either misunderstood or deliberately altered.
Sasidharan explained that his film revolves around an auto-rickshaw driver named Ambi, who gets falsely implicated by the police in a murder case that takes place in his vehicle—an element he says is echoed in Thudarum.
He further pointed to a key dialogue from his script, “Konnaal paapam thinnaal theerum” (a proverb meaning “the sin of killing is absolved on eating”), which he claims was used in Thudarum without relevance to its context. He described this as a significant “slip-up” that hints at screenplay theft.
The S Durga director also revealed that he had pitched Theeyattam to several prominent Malayalam actors including Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, and Sudheer Karamana. Although the project was later shelved for undisclosed reasons, he noted that these actors had all read the screenplay.
Sasidharan announced that he plans to publish his Theeyattam screenplay on Facebook to allow the public to compare the similarities themselves.
Known for his critically acclaimed films like S Durga, Chola, and Vazhakku, Sanal Sasidharan has been a significant voice in independent Malayalam cinema.
Meanwhile, Thudarum has emerged as one of the most successful Malayalam films of the year, earning over Rs 150 crore worldwide despite its minimal budget.