'Thudarum' lifted from my script, claims Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

Filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has alleged that the upcoming film 'Thudarum', starring Mohanlal and directed by Tharun Moorthy, is based on a script he wrote in 2020. According to Sanal, the film draws heavily from the core plot and structure of his unreleased project 'Theeyattam' without offering any credit.

In a detailed Facebook post, Sanal claimed that 'Thudarum' was essentially built on the “skeleton” of 'Theeyattam'. While the storyline has been altered slightly, he suggests that these changes were deliberately made to avoid direct recognition — yet failed to conceal the source material entirely.

Describing the plot of 'Theeyattam', Sanal said the story revolves around the murder and beheading of a man inside an autorickshaw driven by a character named Ambi. The narrative follows the aftermath, in which the police wrongfully implicate Ambi in the crime. Sanal pointed out that elements central to his script appear to have been lifted, without a clear understanding of their context or significance.

The director further stated that 'Theeyattam' had once been under consideration by Century Productions. At the time, the proposed cast included prominent names such as Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Murali Gopy, and Sudheer Karamana. Sanal asserted that all of them had read the script, suggesting prior familiarity with the story.

“Five years is a long time, so it’s possible they may have forgotten,” he added, while also implying that the similarities between the two projects are unlikely to be mere coincidence.
Sanal concluded the post by announcing that he would soon publish the full version of his 'Theeyattam' script, inviting the public to review it and draw their own conclusions.