Abu Dhabi expat stalls movie release in India

ABU DHABI An Indian expat has got the release of a Malayalam movie stalled in Kerala claiming its plot has been lifted straight from a short story he published in 2009.

Moidooty V Mandoth, 59, who works as a radiology technician in Abu Dhabi, told XPRESS he moved a district court in Kerala to win a stay order on the release of Pathemari starring Malayalam superstar Mammootty.

Written and directed by national award-winning film-maker Salim Ahmad, the movie was due for release early this year.

Copyright infringement

“I used to work as a film journalist and have many friends in the industry. When I heard the screenplay of Pathemari I instantly realised its plot was the same as that of my short story Swapna Geham,” Mandoth said.

According to him, he had handed over a copy of his already published short story to director Salem Ahmad when he visited Dubai for a function in 2011. “Who would have thought he would plagiarise my work? He neither sought my permission to base his movie on my book nor did he give me any credit. This a clear infringement of the Copyright Act 1957,” said Mandoth.

Mandoth’s Swapna Geham revolves around the trials and tribulations of a Malayalee expat in the UAE who wants to build a dream home in Kerala. The protagonist, Kumaran, finds a job in Fujairah and toils for ten years to complete the house, but dies of heart attack before he could go back home The tragedy heightens when his relatives don’t even allow his last rites to be performed in the house.

Pathemari follows the same plot where Mammootty plays the role of the struggling NRI. The movie was been shot extensively in Dubai and Fujairah.

Movie director Salim Ahmad has denied plagiarism allegation saying the story of Pathemari was scripted by him.

YOUSPEAK: Has someone passed off your work as theirs?