Writer Jeyarani Alleges Plagiarism, Misrepresentation of Her Story in Movie 'Seeing Red'

Chennai: Jeyarani, a renowned Tamil journalist and writer recognised for her reporting in Tamil and English news outlets on violence perpetrated against Dalits and marginalised communities over the past 25 years, has accused director Shalini Vijaykumar of plagiarising her short story 'Sevvarali Poocharam' for the recently released film Seeing Red. The film premiered at the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) and was subsequently released on YouTube two weeks ago, garnering more than five million views in a short span of time.

Jeyarani, who grew up witnessing her mother and other women in her village fall victim to systematic oppression based on social, religious and culturally rooted – often superstitious – rituals and beliefs, has consistently revealed such atrocities through her work in the Tamil media. In her very first fiction book, Sennilam (Red Land), which includes the short story 'Sevvarali Poocharam' (Red Oleander Flower String), she offers an incisive critique of ritual violence, highlighting the voices of rural and marginalised women who challenge and rebel against such inherited forms of oppression. “I wrote Sevvarali Poocharam to dispel the weight of my memory and critically question the ritual practices common in rural areas – like possession by spirits and ritual trance – which continue to exert overwhelming pressure on the lives of marginalised and working-class women,” Jeyarani explained.

In Sevvarali Poocharam, working-class, marginalised women fight against brutal exorcism rituals. Women are whipped by a self-proclaimed possessed priest named Savukku Sudalai as part of a ritual intended to drive out evil from the village. In a climactic act of resistance, the women reclaim their power by turning the whip on the men who inflicted their suffering.

Seeing Red, directed by Shalini Vijaykumar, follows a strikingly similar storyline. The film depicts Brahmin women getting whipped by a non-Brahmin exorcist, ‘Whip’padi Moorkan (with “Whip” meaning Savukku in Tamil), as part of a ritual to purify the family and home of evil. It ends with the Brahmin women taking revenge by whipping the male family member who brought the possessed priest into the house – a conclusion almost identical to that of Sevvarali Poocharam.

Jeyarani issued sharp condemnations of the film on her Instagram, arguing that it blurs the historical and caste-based context of such ritual violence. “Sevvarali Poocharam is built on the real suffering of Dalit and working-class women. To transfer that suffering to Brahmin upper-caste women and pass it off as original work is not only narrative theft but also a serious distortion of caste reality. Never in history have I seen Brahmin women subjected to such rituals by non-Brahmin men. It is deeply problematic to represent Brahmin women as victims of rituals that their community historically created and imposed on others,” said Jeyarani.

Reading Sevvarali Poocharam and watching Seeing Red highlights several striking similarities between the two works. The characters, dialogues and central themes appear to mirror each other closely. In Sevvarali Poocharam, the protagonist, Senbagam, is a working-class woman believed to be possessed. In Seeing Red, this character is reimagined as a possessed Brahmin woman. In both narratives, the notion of possession serves as a pretext for inflicting violence on women. In Jeyarani’s story, village men summon a self-proclaimed possessed priest who beats the women under the guise of a ritual. In the film, a similar ritual is enacted by Brahmin men within a domestic setting. The transformation of the village into a symbolic household in the film further echoes the original landscape of Sevvarali Poocharam.

One of the most powerful moments in the short story occurs when Senbagam takes a stand and leads the women in resistance, ultimately turning the ritual on its head by using the whip against the men. A nearly identical scene appears in the film, where the possessed Brahmin woman galvanises the other women in the house to fight back. Another compelling point of similarity lies in the role of a young girl. In Sevvarali Poocharam, Kanaga – a girl who has just reached puberty – is subjected to the same painful ritual. This moment becomes a turning point, sparking a conversation among the village women about resistance. Likewise, in the film, a young girl who had attained puberty the previous year is the first to challenge the Brahminical men in the household, setting the tone for collective rebellion.

Character resemblances are also notable. The figure of Savukku Sudalai in Sevvarali Poocharam bears a clear likeness to Whiippadi Murugan in the film. Jeyarani’s vivid descriptions – of a black and yellow cloth, a thick red bindi, long chains draped from neck to hip, and a crown-like headpiece – are reproduced almost exactly in the film. Even the dialogue overlaps. In the short story, a male character tells the women to “adjust for an hour – for the sake of our village”. A nearly identical line is spoken by a Brahmin man in Seeing Red.

The cumulative effect of these parallels strongly suggests that Seeing Red draws heavily from the essence of Sevvarali Poocharam. The similarities go beyond inspiration and point to clear narrative borrowing. More significantly, the film appears to distort the original intent of the story through Brahminical appropriation, undermining its caste-based critique.

Jeyarani voiced her deep disappointment not merely over the lack of permission but also over what she termed a fundamental misunderstanding of caste and social hierarchies within the media industry. “How is it possible for someone to create an artistic piece depicting something that never existed in history and present it as a significant representation? For decades, Tamil cinema has a history of plagiarising the writing of Dalit and marginalised authors without permission or credit. I consider this a continuing act of plagiarism,” she stated.

When asked about the allegation, director Shalini Vijaykumar denied all accusations of plagiarism and said, “My film Seeing Red is an entirely original work. Any resemblance to other stories is purely coincidental. While I acknowledge that appropriation and story theft are real concerns in the creative industry and take them seriously, I stand by the integrity of my process and the authenticity of this story.”

Jeyarani has also reached out to filmmaker Vetrimaaran, who mentored the film, urging him to read her story and take a stance. According to Jeyarani, a week later he responded that he had not yet found the time. “As someone who has actively spoken up for the rights of marginalised people, I hoped he would take a stance soon,” she added.

She has also asked MAMI to take Seeing Red off all platforms and halt any further screenings, especially at overseas festivals. “The misrepresentation of caste and gender violence on overseas platforms distorts our struggles and our history,” she said. So far, neither MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image) nor the film’s director Shalini Vijaykumar has issued any public statement regarding the plagiarism allegations. In response, Jeyarani has sent a legal notice on May 3 to both MAMI and the director, demanding a reply within three days.