Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan Accuses Mohanlal's Blockbuster Thudarum of Plagiarism

In a surprising twist, acclaimed Malayalam director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has alleged that the blockbuster film Thudarum, starring Mohanlal, was based on a story he originally wrote years ago. The movie, directed by Tarun Murthy, has become a massive hit in Kerala, reportedly grossing over ₹120 crore in the state alone and ₹200 crore overall—a feat no Malayalam film has achieved before.However, Sasidharan claims that the movie's core concept was copied from his 2020 script titled Theeyattam. He states that though the makers took the "skeleton" of his story, they failed to retain its soul and essence."They stripped my story of its spirit. What they made is a lifeless imitation," Sasidharan said in a detailed social media post.

He added that the central line of the original script—“If you kill a creature, it’s a sin. But eating the creature you killed absolves the sin”—was lifted directly, yet the film lacked the emotional and philosophical depth to support it.Sasidharan initially intended to cast Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Murali Gopy, and Sudheer Karamana in Theeyattam. He had reportedly shared the script with a leading production house in 2020, which had agreed to take it forward. However, the project stalled for over five years.Now, seeing Thudarum being hailed as a path-breaking success, Sasidharan has declared he will publish the full screenplay of Theeyattam on social media to let people judge the similarities for themselves.This allegation has caused ripples in the Malayalam film industry, especially as Thudarum features a star-studded cast including Shobhana, Prakash Varma, and Binu Pappu. Neither Mohanlal nor the makers of Thudarum have responded to the claims so far.Sasidharan, known for his critically acclaimed films like Oralpokkam, Ozhivudivasathe Kali, Sexy Durga, and Chola, has won multiple national and international accolades, making this allegation even more significant.