Just a day before the release of Mammootty's Bramayugam, the makers of the film changed the name of the lead actor's character amid controversy. For those unversed, the role played by Mammootty in the movie had to undergo a name change due to a legal challenge brought forth by Punjamon Illam, a Brahmin family in Kerala.
According to several media reports, the family accused the makers of Bramayugam of defaming them as they initially called Punjamon or Kunjamon Potti (Mammootty's character) a practitioner of dark magic.
The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, addressed a petition invoking Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, which challenged the name of the protagonist in Bramayugam. The petitioner reportedly argued that Mammootty's portrayal in the film was 'negative and defamatory' and tarnished their family's reputation.
"If the name of the lead character and its traditional home is not changed the same will cause serious prejudice to the petitioner, his family members, ancestors and successors," the plea stated, according to a report in Hindustan Times.
A report in OTT Play stated that the lead character’s name has now been changed from Kunjamon Potty to Kodumon Potty. However, nothing has been confirmed by the makers yet.
The trailer of Bramayugam hints that Mammootty plays a grey-shaded role. The film will reportedly be presented in black-and-white format.
The Malayalam horror thriller is directed by Rahul Sadasivan and it also stars Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan and Amalda Liz. The film is all set to release on February 15.
