Mohanlal's directorial 'Barroz' copied? September release uncertain
The upcoming Malayalam film, Barroz - The Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure, directed by Mohanlal, has been hit with a copyright infringement claim. George Thundiparambil, a Germany-based Malayali author, has sent a legal notice to the film's creators alleging that the movie bears an "uncanny similarity" to his 2008 novel, Maya. Thundiparambil has requested that the film's release be postponed until the copyright issues are resolved.
Source material of the film and changes in screenplay
Barroz is based on the novel Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure by Jijo Punnoose. IMDb describes its story as, "A 400-year-old spirit, Barroz, assigned to guard D'Gama's treasure is waiting to hand it over only to a true descendant of D'Gama." In a blog post, the writer once mentioned that the original script was revised 22 times to "Mohanlal's liking."
Thundiparambil's claims of copyright infringement
Thundiparambil asserts that while the Kappiri Muthappan myth, on which the movie is based, is not copyrighted, his unique interpretation and expression of this myth into a storyline is copyright-protected. He alleges that the theme of Barroz, announced years after his book was published, bears striking similarities to his novel. Thundiparambil claims that he found many parallels between his book and the chapters of Punnoose's novel published online, including a female character who can see the ghost.
Thundiparambil's novel 'Maya' was presented to Rajeev Kumar in 2016
Thundiparambil states in his notice that a friend had taken a copy of Maya to filmmaker TK Rajeev Kumar in 2016 with the idea of adapting it into a film. The idea was then supposed to be discussed with Punnoose, but Thundiparambil says he was allegedly not informed about what transpired afterward. Kumar later contributed to Barroz as a writer.
This is what happens in 'Maya'
Maya is based on a popular Fort Kochi myth about Kappiri Muthappan, a demigod touted as the spirit of an African slave guarding his Portuguese master's treasures until a descendant arrives from Portugal. The uniqueness of Thundiparambil's story lies in the character of Maya, an 18-year-old girl who can see Kappiri. Her interaction with him signals her as the heiress of the treasure he guards.
'Barroz' may not release in September
Barroz - The Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure marks the directorial debut of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who will also star in the film. The script was taken over by Kumar after Punnoose announced he was no longer involved. The film is slated for release on September 12, but now, due to the legal notice, it may be postponed. It also stars Guru Somasundaram and Komal Sharma.
