Writers of the 2021 Malayalam superhero film Minnal Murali, starring Tovino Thomas and directed by Basil Joseph, have moved the court alleging that their copyright on the film’s characters was being infringed upon by production house Weekend Blockbusters and streaming platform Netflix. Based on the petition by writers Arun AR and Justin Mathew, the Ernakulam district court on Thursday, September 12, issued an injunction order against any further production, distribution, and commercialisation of the characters in the much-loved superhero film.
The order comes days after the announcement of Dhyan Sreenivasan starrer Detective Ujjwalan, with its title teaser containing a reference to the fictional village of Kurukkanmoola where Minnal Murali was set, indicating potential ties to the superhero film. Detective Ujjwalan is also produced by Weekend Blockbusters.
Speaking to TNM, the writers said they had no knowledge of new films being introduced into the Minnal Murali universe. “We have not handed over the copyright of these characters to anyone else, so they do not have the right to create spin-offs or merchandise out of them,” they said.
The character Minnal Murali had also appeared in a graphic novel earlier this year, after Weekend Blockbusters announced that it was collaborating with Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle Comics Studio, and Spirit Media to bring the superhero to the “world of comic books.”
The latest court injunction means that Weekend Blockbusters and Netflix — both of which have been named respondents in the order — are now temporarily restrained from making use of the film’s characters for commercial purposes, including the production of graphic novels and merchandise, creation of spin-off films, or any other form of “exploitation.” The characters named in the order include the titular superhero ‘Minnal Murali’, Brucelee Biji, Josemon, PC Sibi Pothan, SI Sajan, PC Shinoj, and the film’s primary antagonist Shibu.
The injunction was issued on Thursday, September 12, based on a plea filed by the film’s writers, Arun AR and Justin Mathew. Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited, Spirit Media Private Limited, and Weekend Blockbusters director Sophia Paul and managing director James Paul are among the other respondents.
As per the order, any such commercialisation would be an infringement upon the writers’ copyright, and this applies to the agents, representatives, or “anyone acting on the behalf” of all respondents. The injunction will be in effect until “further orders.”
Minnal Murali, which was released directly through Netflix on December 24, 2021, has since garnered international acclaim for its grounded cinematic quality.