Sreelekha R alleges Dridam borrowed ideas from her published short story.
Former IPS officer also questioned similarities between Bhoothakaalam and her work.
Shane Nigam's Dridam gained fresh attention following its recent OTT release.
Dridam's plagiarism allegations have brought renewed attention to the Shane Nigam-starrer following its recent OTT release. Former IPS officer and writer Sreelekha R has accused the makers of the Malayalam investigative thriller of using the central idea of her short story, Karinkudi Police Station, without permission.
Sharing her views on social media after watching the film, Sreelekha claimed that Dridam bears striking similarities to her work, which was published in Mathrubhumi Weekly around 15 years ago. She further stated that she adapted the story into an audio narration and uploaded it to her YouTube channel five years ago.
What are the Dridam plagiarism allegations?
According to Sreelekha, both Karinkudi Police Station and Dridam revolve around a young police officer who takes charge at a remote station and becomes involved in a complex investigation. She alleged that the similarities extend beyond the setting and include the core premise of the narrative.
The film, directed by Martin Joseph and presented by Jeethu Joseph, follows Vijay Radhakrishnan, a rookie police officer whose first posting in a hill station leads him into a challenging murder investigation. The screenplay has been written by Jomon John and Linto Devasia.
As of now, the filmmakers have not publicly responded to the allegations.
Sreelekha R also raises questions about Bhoothakaalam
In the same social media post, Sreelekha made another claim involving Rahul Sadasivan's critically acclaimed horror film Bhoothakaalam. She alleged that the film drew inspiration from a real-life story titled Bhootha Bhavanam, which she had previously narrated on her YouTube channel.
Interestingly, Sreelekha pointed out that both Dridam and Bhoothakaalam feature Shane Nigam in leading roles. Despite the allegations, she praised the actor's performance in Dridam, stating that she has admired his work since Parava.
Directed by debutant Martin Joseph, Dridam was released in theatres on May 8 and has recently found a wider audience following its digital premiere.
