Who Is Halitha Shameem? Filmmaker Accuses Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam Makers Of Plagiarism

Halitha Shameem, a filmmaker best known for her anthology film Sillu Karupatti, has charged Nanpakal Nerathu Maayam's creators with stealing the aesthetic of her third film, Aelay.

As social media has grown, more and more filmmakers and content producers are speaking out about how others have stolen their hard work. It is common for creators to "inspire" their work by using ideas from other TV shows and movies, but this has also led to critics and netizens pointing out these works. Recently, Tamil filmmaker Halitha Shameem took to social media to accuse the directors of Mammootty's Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam of ripping off the aesthetic of her film Aelay.

Filmmaker accuses Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam makers of plagiarism:

The director of the film expressed on Facebook in a lengthy post in Tamil how it was unacceptable to use all of her film's aesthetics without her permission. She continued by saying that she and her crew had specifically prepared a village and its residents for her film, Aelay. She said, "It was disappointing "that all the aesthetics that I added with deliberate care have been copied throughout the film." She added  that she was pleased that the Lijo Jose Pellissery-directed film used the set and the locals.

She continued, "The ice cream seller here has become a milkman. Sembuli here is Sevalai. Like how Sembuli runs behind a mortuary van, here Sevalai runs behind a bus… Houses that were filmed, and the houses that were considered and later rejected were all part of this film… there’s more like this."

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The filmmaker continued by saying that her post was written out of anxiety. She said, "You can dismiss my film, Aelay, but I won't be silent if the concepts and style are blatantly plagiarised."

Who Is Halitha Shameem?

Filmmaker, screenwriter, and editor Halitha Shameem are primarily known for her work in Tamil cinema. She made her directorial debut in 2014 with Poovarasam Peepee after working as an assistant on films like Oram Po. She then directed the critically acclaimed and financially successful anthology films Sillu Karupatti in 2019 and Aelay in 2021, both of which are now streaming on Netflix, after a break of more than 5 years.

Several people showed their support for the director after the post quickly attracted attention. Some people even drew attention to how similar the movie posters for the two films were. One thing to keep in mind is that Theni Eswar, a cinematographer, shot both films. In regard to the accusations, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam's creators have not yet responded.