Tovino Thomas’s Minnal Murali Faces Legal Setback As Kerala Court Restrains Producers And Netflix: Report

The producers of Minnal Murali, the popular superhero film starring Tovino Thomas, are facing legal restrictions following a copyright infringement case filed by the film’s writers, Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew. According to a report by The News Minute, the writers have alleged that the production company used their characters for commercial purposes without permission, prompting them to seek a court injunction.

The writers claim to be the sole creators and owners of the characters and had filed the case after the production company announced plans to expand the Minnal Murali universe. The company had unveiled plans for a new film titled Detective Ujjwalan, starring Dhyan Sreenivasan, which was set to be part of this cinematic universe. Additionally, a comic book featuring the superhero character Minnal Murali was released, further contributing to the writers’ claims that their intellectual property was being commercialized without consent.

The writers allege that they were not consulted before these spin-offs and merchandising efforts were announced, asserting that any commercial usage of their characters should have required their approval. As a result, they filed for an injunction to prevent the production company from using their characters without proper authorization.

The film Minnal Murali, directed by Basil Joseph, was initially released on Netflix in 2021. It tells the story of Jaison, a young tailor who, after being struck by lightning, gains superhero abilities like super strength and speed. The film was praised for its engaging storyline, visual effects, and the performance of lead actor Tovino Thomas. The movie, which was released directly on OTT due to the pandemic, became a hit and has since garnered a dedicated fan base.

Recently, Tovino Thomas hinted at the possibility of a sequel during an interview with Pinkvilla. The actor noted that the first film was a natural progression and that a sequel would only happen if it felt organic and necessary to the story, rather than being forced.