Jailer vs Jailer: Rajinikanth film runs into controversy as Malayalam director claims he registered the title first

However, this highly ambitious film has encountered controversy with Malayalam director Sakkir Madathil stepping forward and claiming that he registered the title “Jailer” with the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in 2021, well before the announcement of the Tamil film’s title. He has requested Sun Pictures to consider releasing the movie under an alternative title in Malayalam to ensure that neither of their projects is affected. It is, however, learnt that the production company has declined this request and intends to move forward with the same title. Sun Pictures has also reportedly moved the Madras High Court in this matter.

“Following the announcement of the release date for the Tamil film, we took the initiative to send a letter, through our lawyer, to Sun Pictures. In the letter, we requested them to consider using an alternative title for the film in Kerala. Copies of the e-mail were also sent to superstar Rajinikanth and the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC). Our main point was that since their movie featured Malayalam actors like Mohanlal and Vinayakan, the release of their film would diminish the value of ours. Approximately a week later, we received a response from them stating that Sun Pictures is a large corporate entity and changing the title at this stage would be impossible for them. Despite their decision, we resolved to proceed with the release of our movie, following which we received an intimation from the Sun Pictures’ lawyer stating the production giant has filed a petition against us in the Madras High Court. They insisted that we refrain from using the same title,” writer-director Sakkir Madathil, who has also bankrolled the movie under the banner of Golden Village, told The Indian Express.

The document showing that Sakkir Madathil registered the title “Jailer” with KFCC in 2021. (Image: Sakkir Madathil)

“I made this movie out of passion and that too by taking loans. I am not a giant like Sun Pictures. However, since they moved legally, I was also left with no other option, but to file a counter in the Madras HC. The case has now been posted to August 2 for hearing,” he added. “We also renewed the registration with KFCC for the period from August 13, 2022, to August 12, 2023, by paying the necessary fee.”

However, Sakkir claimed that the KFCC has provided him assurance that his project will not encounter any difficulties as he has “complied with all necessary procedures.” Elaborating on the process, Sakkir told The Indian Express: “Upon registering a title with the KFCC, a notification is typically sent to the SIFCC to prevent any conflicts in the future. In our situation, the KFCC claims to have promptly carried out this process. However, we remain uncertain about what transpired at the SIFCC regarding our registration.” Additionally, Sakkir highlighted that the producers’ association has shown their support and solidarity towards him.

The letter Malayalam director Sakkir Madathil says he sent to Sun Pictures via his lawyer.

Sakkir explains that despite his efforts to complete the film by August 3, it turned out to be an extremely challenging endeavour. As a result, they are now planning to release their film Jailer in theatres on August 10. Set in 1957 and produced with a budget of Rs 5 crore, the film’s trailer will be released on July 21.

Pointing out that disputes over common film titles were becoming increasingly prevalent, KFCC president G Suresh Kumar told Manorama Online: “Nonetheless, we have granted clearance for the Mollywood film Jailer, so they should not encounter any issues releasing the film with that title. However, if Rajinikanth’s filmmakers intend to release the film in Kerala under the same title after Dhyan Sreenivasan’s film is released, it may indeed pose a problem.”

The intimation Sakkir Madathil says he received from the Sun Pictures’ lawyer stating the production giant…

‘Registered the title in August, 2021; finished the shooting in December’

“While the scripting and location scouting were underway, we officially registered the title “Jailer” with the Kerala Film Chamber on August 13, 2021. Prior to registering the title, we entered into an agreement with Dhyan Sreenivasan, who plays the lead role in the movie, and subsequently with actor Divya Pillai, as the KFCC requires the names of the lead actors to be informed. We began shooting our “Jailer” in Pollachi, Dindigul, and Palani on November 6, 2021, and completed filming on December 12, with the exception of a song. We finished shooting that particular song two months later. Despite attempting to start post-production work immediately, it was delayed due to financial difficulties, and a favourable situation emerged only three to four months later,” Sakkir said.

“Despite our initial intention to reveal the digital poster of our movie at the ‘Come On Kerala’ event in May 2022, the programme had to be postponed to June due to Covid-related restrictions. Eventually, we released the digital poster on June 26 and shared it through regional Malayalam media. It was at this point that we became aware of another film titled Jailer featuring Rajinikanth. They had already unveiled their first look 10 days prior to our release. However, since our plan was to release our movie in August 2022, we decided to overlook this coincidence. As time passed, we became more engrossed in our project and completely forgot about it. Unfortunately, we faced delays in releasing the movie as scheduled due to financial challenges. It was during this period that the makers of the Tamil film announced their movie’s release date,” he added.