R. Sreelekha, Kerala’s first woman Director General of Police and now a BJP councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, has accused the makers of two Malayalam films starring Shane Nigam of lifting their stories from her original works. She made the allegations through a social media post, targeting the recently released film ‘Dridham’ and the critically acclaimed ‘Bhoothakaalam’.
Who is R. Sreelekha?
Sreelekha is a 1987-batch IPS officer who retired in 2020 at the rank of Director General of Police. She was the first woman IPS officer in the Kerala cadre and the first woman to reach the rank of DGP in the state. After retirement, she joined the BJP in October 2024. She contested the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation local body elections and won the Sasthamangalam ward seat.
The allegation against ‘Dridham’
Sreelekha claimed that the police-themed film ‘Dridham’, which was recently released, was made by copying her short story titled ‘Karinkudi Police Station’. She had written the story years ago, and it was published in Mathrubhumi Weekly. She said she realised the similarity only after watching the film. To support her claim, she shared a link to the audio version of the story, which she had uploaded on her official YouTube channel.
The allegation against ‘Bhoothakaalam’
Sreelekha also raised similar allegations against ‘Bhoothakaalam’, an award-winning Malayalam film that drew widespread critical acclaim. She said the film was based on an experience-based story she had shared on her YouTube channel three years ago. The story was titled ‘Bhootha Bhavanam’. She pointed out that the similarity was visible even in the titles of the two works, with ‘Bhoothakaalam’ and ‘Bhootha Bhavanam’ sharing a clear resemblance. She shared links to both her stories through her YouTube channel while raising the allegations.
Sreelekha noted that both films, ‘Dridham’ and ‘Bhoothakaalam’, feature Shane Nigam as the lead actor. This, she said, was a notable connection between the two projects she was calling out.
Her feelings toward Shane Nigam
Despite the allegations against the filmmakers, Sreelekha was clear that she held no ill will toward Shane Nigam personally. She said she had developed a liking for the actor after watching the film ‘Parava’. She described him as similar to a young police officer she had worked with, someone she regarded as a younger brother.
Referring to Shane’s role as a police officer in ‘Dridham’, she said the character brought to mind a policeman named Mohammed, who used to gift her mango saplings, pure honey, and ghee. Her complaints, she clarified, were towards the filmmakers, not at the actor.