Mohanlal's directorial debut, "Barroz," is embroiled in a legal controversy over copyright infringement. Malayali expatriate George Thundiparambil has accused the film of closely resembling his 2008 novel, "Maya," and claims that Mohanlal failed to address the issue as promised.

George, currently residing in Germany, alleges that the plot of "Barroz" mirrors that of his novel, which centers on Kappiri Muthappan, a ghost from Fort Kochi, and a young girl who is the only one able to see him. George claims that a copy of his novel was passed to T. K. Rajeev Kumar, who later revised the screenplay for "Barroz." 

Despite promises from Mohanlal to follow up on the matter, George has received no further communication, leading him to take legal action. He has requested a delay in the film's release until the issue is resolved, raising significant concerns about intellectual property rights in the film industry.