Kerala BJP councilor R. Sreelekha accuses ‘Dridam’ and ‘Bhoothakalam’ makers of plagiarizing her stories

R. Sreelekha | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-turned Director General of Police (DGP) R. Sreelekha on Tuesday leveled allegations of plagiarism against the makers of two Malayalam films.

In a Facebook post, Councilor Sasthamangalam claimed that the main idea behind the films Dridam and Bhoothakalam are drawn from the stories and videos she has shared on her social media timeline in the past.

“I watched the movie Dridam because it’s a police story. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the original story of this movie is the short story Karingudi Police Station, which I wrote a few years ago and published in Mathrubhumi Magazine. I also narrated this story as an audio story on my YouTube channel,” she wrote.

She further claimed that the idea for the 2022 film Bhoothakalam was stolen from an experience she shared on her channel three years ago. “Even the title is similar. I called my story Bhootha Bhavanam,” she wrote.

The director denies the allegations

Martin Joseph, director of Dridam, denied the allegations and told reporters that his film had no connection with Ms. Sreelekha’s story. “People who have seen the film will know that it has nothing to do with this story. I spoke to the screenwriters, Jomon John and Linto Devasia, who also said they were watching the video for the first time,” he said.

Dridam revolves around the story of a rookie cop played by Shane Nigam who arrives at a rural base in the hills where he comes under pressure due to a series of horrific crimes. The film, which released last month, had its OTT premiere last week.

Directed by Rahul Sadasivan, Bhoothakalam starring Revathy and Shane Nigam is a critically acclaimed horror film about the hardships a mother and son, both mentally challenged, face in their rented house.

Published – 16 Jun 2026 13:22 IST