Chalakudy: “Even the judge recognised that the photograph used in Oppam was mine, yet the film's producers and company failed to acknowledge it, which is astonishing,” said college lecturer Princy Francis whose photo was used without authorisation by the movie crew. The Chalakudy Munsiff Court recently ruled in her favour, awarding compensation over the unauthorised and defamatory use of her photograph in the film.

The case was filed against Oppam's producer Antony Perumbavoor and director Priyadarshan. Princy Francis, a lecturer at Asmabi College in Kodungallur, and wife of Kadukutti Vattoli Saji Joseph, pursued legal action through Advocate P Narayanankutty.

The court, presided over by M S Shiny, ordered a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the petitioner, along with Rs 1.68 lakh towards legal expenses. In the film, starring Mohanlal, her photograph appears at the 29th minute, presented as that of a brutally murdered young woman in a police crime file.

“In 2016, during my vacation, I went to watch Oppam with my family. That was when I saw my passport-sized photograph in the film. It was shown as that of a murder victim. I was shocked. The image had been taken from my blog. I sent a legal notice, but there was no response. So, I had to take the matter to court. After eight years of legal battle, I have finally won,” said Princy Francis, expressing relief at the verdict.