Mohanlal’s Thudarum is based on a real case of honour killing? Tharun Moorthy sets the record straight

In a chat with OTTplay, Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy sets the record straight on whether the plot of the Mohanlal-starrer is based on any real case of honour killing that happened in Kerala

Thudarum stars Mohanlal, Prakash Varma

Tharun Moorthy’s latest film, Thudarum, starring Mohanlal, has been winning much love from the audience and critics even while raking in impressive figures at the box office. The film, a revenge thriller, touches upon themes of honour killing, which led to speculations on whether the plot is based on any real-life incident, with claims linking it to the Kevin murder case in Kerala. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Thudarum director sets the record straight on whether the plot of the Mohanlal-starrer is based on any true incident. (Spoilers ahead!)

Thudarum is based on the Kevin murder case?

After Operation Java and the award-winning Saudi Vellakka Tharun Moorthy directed Thudarum, starring Mohanlal, Shobana and Prakash Varma. The Lucifer star plays ‘Benz’ Shanmugham who seeks revenge after his stepson is killed by senior cop George Sir (Prakash Varma) in an act of honour killing.

After parallels were drawn with the Kevin murder case, OTTplay reached out to Tharun Moorthy about the veracity of the claims. And the young director categorically stated that the team has taken references from several real-life cases, and no, it is not entirely based on any true crime.

“It is not based on anyone’s personal life. To correctly understand the emotions, we have seen the documentation of honour killings that happened in Kerala. That is purely to understand the conflicts, mental status and emotional arcs, otherwise, Thudarum has no connection with any real-life individuals or their life situations. It was purely as a reference material,” Tharun told OTTplay.

For the unversed, Kevin, a 24-year-old Dalit Christian, was abducted and killed by his wife’s upper-caste family in Kerala's Kottayam in 2018. The brutal incident, which the court termed as a case of honour killing, sent shockwaves across Kerala.

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Thomas Mathew appears as the young Pavi, stepson of Shanmugham, while Aarsha Chandini Baiju is seen as his lover Mary and George Sir's daughter in Thudarum.

Thudarum, which was released in theatres on April 25, 2025, will stream on JioHotstar, though a release date is yet to be announced.

Also read - Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy on sequel, comparisons with Mohanlal's Drishyam and film following Empuraan in theatres | Exclusive

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