Manju Warrier files defamation case against director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan

Kochi: Actor Manju Warrier has filed a defamation case against filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan at the Ernakulam Munsiff Court, alleging that he has been repeatedly making defamatory statements about her through social media and other platforms.

In her petition, Manju Warrier alleged that Sasidharan had been continuously insulting and making posts targeting her on social media. She has sought legal action against the director and also requested that social media posts concerning her be removed.

The court case comes amid Sasidharan's ongoing hunger strike outside the Kerala Secretariat, where he has been making serious allegations concerning the actor.

Sasidharan has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past six days, demanding that an investigation be conducted into what he claims is Manju Warrier's detention. He had earlier said that he was undertaking the protest because neither the government nor the legal system had acted on his demands.

The director has been staging the protest near the Secretariat with his Kerala State Film Awards, among other items, placed beside him.

Manju Warrier, in her petition, said that Sasidharan's statements about her over the past several weeks had caused her considerable distress.

The dispute between Manju Warrier and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan dates back to their collaboration on Kayattam in 2020, in which Warrier starred and was also a producer. In May 2022, Warrier filed a police complaint against the filmmaker, alleging that he had repeatedly contacted, harassed and threatened her through phone calls, WhatsApp, email and social media. According to her complaint, the alleged harassment began after she rejected what she described as his proposal. The complaint came amid Sasidharan's repeated social media posts claiming that Warrier's life was in danger. At the time, Warrier had also given a statement to police in connection with the investigation into the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case.

On May 5, 2022, Kerala Police took Sasidharan into custody following Warrier's complaint, which included allegations of threatening and insulting her through social media. Sasidharan denied the allegations and described the case as false. In subsequent interviews and social media posts, he maintained that his concerns about Warrier's safety were genuine and alleged that the case against him was part of a broader conspiracy.