Malayalee From India Plagiarism Controversy Explained: Why Writer Nishad Koya Has Accused Dijo Jose Antony of Lifting His Script for Nivin Pauly-Starrer
The film, Malayalee From India, has found itself in an ugly plagiarism row after writer Nishad Koya has accused the makers of lifting portions of his unmade script, that once involved actors like Jayasurya, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Malayalee From India poster; Nishad Koya (Photo Credit: Instagram/Cue Studio YouTube)
Malayalee From India has garnered decent box office collections since its release on May 1st. However, it has also received average reviews. This satirical dramedy, directed by Dijo Jose Antony, features Nivin Pauly in the lead role, with supporting performances from Dhyan Sreenivasan, Anaswara Rajan, Salim Kumar, Manju Pillai, and others. While the film may not have set the box office on fire, Malayalee From India has certainly generated significant heat due to offscreen controversies, particularly being at the centre of a major plagiarism accusation. Malayalee From India Movie Review: A Winsome Nivin Pauly Tries to Salvage Dijo Jose Antony's Well-Meaning But Uneven Political Dramedy.
Nishad Koya, renowned for his work in films such as Ordinary, Thoppil Jopan, and Shikkari Shambhu, is the scriptwriter who has accused the film and its director of plagiarising his story without permission. The controversy began when Nishad posted on Facebook on the eve of Malayalee From India's release, predicting the plot of the film. Although he later deleted the post, it sparked a strong response from Dijo, Nivin, and the film's producer, Listin Stephen in a post-release interview, who questioned why Nishad didn't contact them directly instead of making such a public statement. In response, Nishad Koya provided an interview to the same portal, presenting his side with 'evidence' to refute their counter-accusations.
So who is telling the truth, and who isn't? Let's give you a proper breakdown of what happened.
The Plot of Malayalee From India
Before we get into the script plagiarism allegations, it's imperative to understand the plot of Malayalee From India. Nivin Pauly portrays Aalparambil Gopi, a staunch right-winger hailing from a village in Kerala. Unemployed and dependent on his widowed mother for financial support, Gopi's life takes a drastic turn when his friend becomes embroiled in a communal altercation, resulting in the latter's near-fatal assault. Fearing for his safety, Gopi goes into hiding. At the behest of his uncle, he relocates to the Middle East, where he unwittingly finds himself toiling on a remote farm alongside a Pakistani supervisor. Despite initial tensions, a bond forms between them, evolving into a genuine friendship until tragedy strikes.
The 'Deleted' Facebook Post
While Malayalee From India was gearing up for release on May 1, writer Nishad Koya had posted on Facebook, predicting the plot of an upcoming film (unnamed at the time) about to hit the screens. The plot, as he described, revolved around a bigot from Kerala who, following a violent incident, is compelled to flee his village. Seeking refuge in the Middle East, he finds himself obliged to collaborate with a Pakistani man. Unexpectedly, they develop a bond, only to be thrust into a journey together due to circumstances.
Malayalee From India poster; Nishad Koya (Photo Credit: Instagram/Cue Studio YouTube)
Malayalee From India has garnered decent box office collections since its release on May 1st. However, it has also received average reviews. This satirical dramedy, directed by Dijo Jose Antony, features Nivin Pauly in the lead role, with supporting performances from Dhyan Sreenivasan, Anaswara Rajan, Salim Kumar, Manju Pillai, and others. While the film may not have set the box office on fire, Malayalee From India has certainly generated significant heat due to offscreen controversies, particularly being at the centre of a major plagiarism accusation. Malayalee From India Movie Review: A Winsome Nivin Pauly Tries to Salvage Dijo Jose Antony's Well-Meaning But Uneven Political Dramedy.
Nishad Koya, renowned for his work in films such as Ordinary, Thoppil Jopan, and Shikkari Shambhu, is the scriptwriter who has accused the film and its director of plagiarising his story without permission. The controversy began when Nishad posted on Facebook on the eve of Malayalee From India's release, predicting the plot of the film. Although he later deleted the post, it sparked a strong response from Dijo, Nivin, and the film's producer, Listin Stephen in a post-release interview, who questioned why Nishad didn't contact them directly instead of making such a public statement. In response, Nishad Koya provided an interview to the same portal, presenting his side with 'evidence' to refute their counter-accusations.
So who is telling the truth, and who isn't? Let's give you a proper breakdown of what happened.
The Plot of Malayalee From India
Before we get into the script plagiarism allegations, it's imperative to understand the plot of Malayalee From India. Nivin Pauly portrays Aalparambil Gopi, a staunch right-winger hailing from a village in Kerala. Unemployed and dependent on his widowed mother for financial support, Gopi's life takes a drastic turn when his friend becomes embroiled in a communal altercation, resulting in the latter's near-fatal assault. Fearing for his safety, Gopi goes into hiding. At the behest of his uncle, he relocates to the Middle East, where he unwittingly finds himself toiling on a remote farm alongside a Pakistani supervisor. Despite initial tensions, a bond forms between them, evolving into a genuine friendship until tragedy strikes.
The 'Deleted' Facebook Post
While Malayalee From India was gearing up for release on May 1, writer Nishad Koya had posted on Facebook, predicting the plot of an upcoming film (unnamed at the time) about to hit the screens. The plot, as he described, revolved around a bigot from Kerala who, following a violent incident, is compelled to flee his village. Seeking refuge in the Middle East, he finds himself obliged to collaborate with a Pakistani man. Unexpectedly, they develop a bond, only to be thrust into a journey together due to circumstances.
The Deleted FB Post:
The Deleted FB Post
Resonating with Salman Khan's 2015 film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the outlined plot bore striking similarities to Malayalee From India, albeit with the exception of the protagonist embarking on a journey alongside the individual he once despised.
This post was subsequently removed by Nishad Koya, who later revealed in an interview that it was at the request of FEFKA (Film Employees Federation of Kerala) whose members had contacted him. However, the damage had been done; the deleted post had already gone viral, leading many to infer that Nishad was indirectly insinuating that Malayalee From India, scripted by Sharis Mohammed, was plagiarised from his own script.
Dijo, Listin and Nivin Hit Back
In an interview with Cue Studio, Dijo, Nivin, and Listin responded to a Facebook post concerning them. The trio asserted that Nishad had never approached them regarding this matter, suggesting he should have done so instead of resorting to putting up an FB post that they deemed caused 'irreparable damage' to the industry. Dijo pointed out that scripts with similar themes have existed previously, purely coincidentally. He cited examples such as Aby (featuring Vineeth Sreenivasan) and Vimanam (starring Prithviraj Sukumaran), which had comparable plots and were released around the same time.
In response to the allegations against him, Nishad Koya granted an interview to the same online platform, presenting 'evidence' to support his claims. He asserted that his script, purportedly resembling Malayalee From India, was penned in 2021 for a prospective collaboration with Jayasurya and director Joshiy. Titled 'Indo-Pak,' the narrative revolved around the unlikely friendship between an Indian bigot and a Pakistani man in the Middle East, detailing their joint journey. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was considered for the role of the Pakistani character.
Nishad had shared the announcement along with a first-look poster on his Facebook page on August 31, 2021, coinciding with Jayasurya's birthday. (The film remained untitled at that time.)
See the Post Below:
The film, however, didn't take off, and Nishad Koya claimed that he was forced to look for other directors, with Jayasurya still interested in playing the lead role.
Dijo's Alleged Involvement
Now, this is a crucial allegation that Nishad Koya made in his interview, which might tip the argument in his favour. The Malayalee From India team claimed that Nishad never contacted them before regarding similarities with their scripts. However, Nishad has a different story to tell. He claimed that one day, five or six months after the project was dropped, Jayasurya called him and asked him to meet Dijo, who was shooting an ad for an establishment (Nishad refused to name it), and to narrate the script to him. Nishad claimed to have called Dijo, who allegedly informed him that he had heard a detailed narration from Jayasurya. Since he was caught up in some family matter, Dijo told Nishad that he would call back in a couple of days. When the call didn't come after a few days, Nishad thought he was not interested and looked for other options.
Meeting Prithviraj
Similar to Dijo's encounter with Prithviraj, Nishad asserted that he had also approached the actor for the film Indo-Pak, presumably after Jayasurya withdrew. He mentioned that Prithviraj was keen on the script and expressed his willingness to commit to it. However, due to his busy schedule, which included working on his own directorial venture L2: Empuraan, he foresaw a delay in finalising the dates. Nishad acknowledged this, and they parted ways. This conversation took place while Prithviraj was engrossed in shooting Shaji Kailas' Kaapa.
Amidst the filming of Salaar in Hyderabad, Prithviraj reached out to Nishad and arranged a meeting with him. Upon their meeting, Prithviraj informed Nishad about Dijo's approach with a script bearing resemblance to Nishad's concept. To prevent a repetition of the Vimanam vs Aby scenario, Prithviraj urged Nishad to address this matter with Dijo.
Chats With Dijo
Nishad contacted Dijo through WhatsApp after not getting through to him by calls. He sent him a voice message on March 9, 2023, asking for clarification on the matter. In response, Dijo claimed that his script was different from Nishad's - it was more fun and comic - and the only common element was that there is a Pakistani character in the film, nothing else.
Nishad then sent his script in a pdf format to Dijo, to which he didn't respond. The scriptwriter then produced copies of these chats to the inteviewer.
Watch the Whole Interview Below:
Why Nishad Didn't Feel Suspicious At First
As a response to why Nishad waited until the eve of Malayalee From India's release date to post his suspicions, the scriptwriter claimed that it was only when the teaser came out online on April 29, 2024, that he suspected the film was plagiarised. Particularly, the last scene in the promo showing Nivin in a bus. This prompted him to put up the Facebook post.
Watch the Teaser of Malayalee From India:
Until then, he argued that the film's promotions didn't reveal much of the plot - which, honestly, was true - and even the songs that were released didn't give any idea of what Malayalee From India was about. Nishad even claimed that the makers were very hush-hush about the shooting of the film, which he says was shot simultaneously in the Middle East along with Nivin's Ramachandra Boss & Co, surprising for a film with a superstar in the lead. Nishad also added that Listin even mentioned in promotional interviews that the rest of the team were not keen on doing any interviews. This, Nishad claims, was because they wanted to conceal the plot of the film as much as possible before its release. When Nishad saw the movie on its release date, he found that while the film is not an exact replica of his screenplay, there were many similarities with his script that cannot be mere coincidence.
Now, forgive us for playing devil's advocate here, but Dijo's previous film Jana Gana Mana was also secretive about its plot. The teasers of the film had scenes that were not part of the main plot and gave the idea that it was a revenge drama, while the original film was a courtroom drama that took potshots at social media justice and fake police encounters.
So who is telling the truth in this plagiarism controversy? Is it a matter of mere coincidence or was there an act of betrayal? Will Jayasurya, Joshiy, and Prithviraj back Nishad's claims here? Let's wait and watch!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2024 06:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Quickly
Socially
Trending
Crypto
Google Trends
