'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam', directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, is now streaming on Netflix. The movie, which hit theatres last month, received a lot of appreciation from both the critics and the audience alike.
Now, Tamil filmmaker Halitha Shameem who directed the movie 'Aelay', has alleged that the aesthetics of 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam' was stolen from her movie. In a detailed Facebook post in Tamil, she wrote: "Stealing all the aesthetics from a film isn't acceptable. We prepared a village and the villagers for the shooting of the film 'Aelay'. We were happy to know that Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam was also shot there. However, it is exhausting to see the aesthetics of my film being replicated in 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'. The ice cream vendor in my film is the milkman in Nanpakal. Sembuli, the dog who runs behind the mortuary van in my film, is Sevalai in Lijo's film and it chases a minibus," she said. "Actor and singer Chithrai Senan, whom I introduced through my film, is singing along with Mammootty in Nanpakal," she added.
"As the events unfold in the movie, there is much more to compare! You can dismiss my film 'Aelay', but I'll not stay quiet if the ideas and aesthetics from it are mercilessly ripped off," she wrote.
Many people have expressed their shock at the director's post. "This is shocking. They may steal your work, but they can't steal your creativity. Stay strong," wrote one comment.
Sharing the 'Aelay' poster, another commented the posters of both films have a lot of similarities. "Even poster gave the same vibe," the person wrote.
'Aelay', which is a Tamil comedy-drama that was released in 2021, features actors Samuthirakani, Manikandan and Deepa Shankar. It is available on Netflix.
Meanwhile, some people have come out in support of Lijo Jose Pellissery's work. "In my limited knowledge let me tell you this. I believe as technicians move from one project to another, they would suggest locations or artists from the previous film. 100s of films get made in the same location and 100s of artists also get cast in multiple movies. That doesn't mean they are stealing each other's creative ideas (sic)," the person wrote. "It's not about the location. I have mentioned the other aspects as well! I am not worried or anything! But when some ideas are lifted, as a creator, I need to voice out!" Halita replied to the comment.
