Latest news with #ShaliniVijayakumar
News18
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Shalini Vijayakumar Denies 'Seeing Red' Plagiarism Allegations: 'Entirely Original'
Last Updated: Tamil writer Jeyarani took to Instagram to claim that Seeing Red, a short film, has been plagiarized based on her short story Sevvarali Poocharam. Seeing Red, a Tamil short film shortlisted by MAMI (Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image)'s Select: Filmed on iPhone initiative, has become a talking point online as the director, Shalini Vijayakumar, is facing plagiarism accusations by Tamil writer Jeyarani. According to Jeyarani, the film is based on her short story Sevvarali Poocharam, which is part of her collection Sennilam. On Instagram, Jeyarani, a journalist and writer for 25 years, wrote, 'I was shocked to find out that one of the short stories from this book (Sennilam)–Sevvarali Poocharam–has been used without my knowledge and permission without due recognition or royalties in the recently released film Seeing Red, directed by Shalini Vijayakumar." She continued by saying, 'Not only has every inch of it been stolen… but it has also been distorted and appropriated through a Brahminical lens. I was struck by deep inner turmoil upon seeing it." 'Not only was my story about the cultural oppression suffered by women from marginalised communities under the guise of ritual stolen but it was distorted into the story of a Brahmin household, where the ghost is a grotesque madisar(a traditional saree)-clad Brahmin woman," she added. Jeyarani also appealed to acclaimed director Vetrimaaran, who has been credited as the mentor of the film. 'Since director Vetrimaaran is credited as a mentor for the film, I raised the issue with him. He said he would read the story but even after a week, he claims he hasn't read it. It's possible he didn't know the story was stolen. But what truly surprises me is the complete lack of social awareness among those associated with the film—whether Brahmin women face such systemic cultural oppression, or whether the film is, in fact, appropriating the pain and suffering of marginalised women." Jeyarani has demanded a public apology from Shalini, the director of the short film for the alleged story theft and causing emotional distress. She also demanded that the short film be removed from all platforms. The writer has claimed that she will seek necessary legal action if her demands are not met. However, speaking to CNN-News18, Shalini Vijayakumar has denied the allegations against her. 'I wish to state clearly and respectfully that my film Seeing Red is an entirely original work. Any resemblance to other stories is purely coincidental. While I acknowledge that appropriation and story theft are real concerns in the creative industry, and I take them seriously, in this case, I stand by the integrity of my process and the authenticity of the story." When asked to comment on Jeyarani wanting to seek legal remedy against her, Shalini said, 'Ms. Jeyarani is well within her rights to pursue legal action, and if and when that happens, I will respond through the appropriate legal channels. I continue to stand firmly by my position that Seeing Red is a wholly original work, not inspired by or plagiarised from any existing work of fiction." Seeing Red is still streaming on YouTube. First Published:
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Plagarism allegations against Tamil short film ‘Seeing Red,' selected for MAMI
CHENNAI: Journalist and writer Jeyarani has alleged that short film 'Seeing Red' made by Shalini Vijayakumar, which was selected under the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) Select: Filmed on iPhone initiative this year, was fully plagiarised from her short story 'Sevvarali Poocharam'. The work was published as part of 'Sennilam', a collection of Jeyarani's short stories, in December 2024. Shalini Vijayakumar was among the four persons selected by MAMI in February and the film fully shot on iPhone had its premiere last month. In a statement on social media on Friday, Jeyarani accused 'Seeing Red' of being a case of 'plagiarism, Brahminical appropriation and historical distortion'. Pointing out that she was alerted by a friend on April 24 that someone had made a film out of her story, the writer said she was shocked to find that the film has been 'blatantly plagiarised'. 'Not only had every inch of it been stolen, down to the title ('Sevvarali Poocharam' – Red oleander flower string), but it had also been distorted and appropriated through a Brahminical lens,' she said. Shalini Vijayakumar told TNIE that she wished to state clearly and respectfully that her film was an entirely original work. 'Any resemblance to other stories is purely coincidental,' she said. Shalini Vijayakumar added that while she took seriously the concerns of story theft and appropriation, she stood by the integrity of her process and the authenticity of the story in this case. Jeyarani, who has written against casteism, communalism and patriarchy, said she wrote 'Sevvarali Poocharam' to release the weight from her memory after being deeply affected by seeing her mother and other women in her village subjected to exorcism rituals. Since director Vetrimaaran was credited as a mentor for the film, Jeyarani said she reached out to him in vain. 'It's possible he didn't know the story was stolen,' she said, adding that what truly surprised her was the 'complete lack of social awareness among anyone associated with the film — whether Brahmin women, as a community, face such systemic oppression, or whether the film is, in fact, appropriating the pain and suffering of women from marginalised communities'. Besides a public apology from Shalini Vijayakumar, she demanded that the film be not screened anywhere or made available on any platforms. She urged MAMI to revoke its selection of the film.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Shalini Vijayakumar's Seeing Red, brings power and patriarchy to the fore
At her residence in the city, Shalini Vijayakumar sits cross legged, and is a picture of calm when she talks about her film Seeing Red. This is ironic, given how the film feels like an ode to rage; a feminine rage that feels like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode. The 30-minute film was one among the four selected for this year's MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone initiative to showcase emerging filmmakers from across the country. The slapstick satire, set in 1986 and shot entirely on an iPhone 16 Pro Max, chronicles how a regular morning in a traditional household turns chaotic owing to the appearance of a ghost. The kicker? Only the women in the house are able to see her, and the men scuttle about in fear, at their wits end about what to do. 'The idea for Seeing Red germinated from me black sheep of my family. Despite having the priviledge and freedom to act on my choices, many of my decisions have not been very welcome. How my mother has been impacted by all of this and the system, inspired me to write it,' says Shalini. Her relationship with her mother, and the guilt she has had to wrestle with led her to introspect. 'Women over generations have dealt with unprocessed anger. How would it be if my mother, or any woman, just gave into the urge to scream at all the fear and shame we are often forced to hold on to?' she asks. In Seeing Red, Shalini says the men have embraced 'benevolent chauvinism', and this manifests itself in how they react to the three women from their orthodox family who attempt to make their voice heard. 'They are immediately told that all of this is for their good. There are a handful of people asking me if I am targetting a community, but I am not. The issues you see in the film are systemic and can be placed in any other power system, and it will still remain the same. I chose this setting because of how familiar I am with it,' she says. Bolstered by an ensemble cast comprising Shivaani Harikumar, Sahana Sundar, Soundarya Saravanan, Preethi Bharadwaj, Manasvini Kannan and led by actor and comic Badava Gopi, the film was shot in four days. Shalini was mentored by director Vetrimaaran, who she says was straightforward with his feedback. 'Working on a short timeline meant that I often needed a jolt from getting too indulgent. His insights were valuable,' she says. The film opens bombastically, with the family thrown into utter chaos with the appearance of the ghost, and this, she shares, was a conscious writing choice. Having been influenced by Bell Hooks' writing, and the films of K Balachander for his social commentary and Visu for how he presented large family units, Shalini quotes Phoebe Waller Bridge on her choice to opt for a slapstick satire to drive her point home. 'Disarm the audience with comedy, then punch them in the gut with drama when they least expect it,' she says. Shalini, who co-wrote the film with her partner Roju, says that they were on an equal footing when it came to their anger about caste and gender power structures at play. 'For instance, we see the labour of women being exploited for close to nothing, and anytime a woman attempts to speak, she is asked to work hard and keep quiet. I might have set the story in the 1980s but the patriarchy still remains all too familiar,' she adds. Since its release on YouTube, Seeing Red is inching close to 500k views, and has hundreds of comments from people who have discussed and debated its many details and themes. Enthused by the reception the film had at its premiere in Mumbai and on YouTube, Shalini hopes to take her work to more festivals, and has a couple of ideas in mind for her next project already. 'I feel like the film has gained a lot more depth because of how the people have received it,' she says. 'The feedback has been eye-opening, and it has taught me how keenly the audience observes. This is something I will remember and carry forward, in whatever I work on next,' she adds.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Seeing Red: How an iPhone 16 Pro Max brought a dark comedy to life
The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) continues its mission to make filmmaking accessible to all with 'MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone,' showcasing emerging talent across India. This year's selection includes Seeing Red, a darkly comedic short film directed by Shalini Vijayakumar, which premiered at PVR Lido in Mumbai and was shot entirely on an iPhone 16 Pro Max – a testament to the evolving possibilities of mobile storytelling. Seeing Red centres on three women who are haunted by a ghost visible only to them while their family remains blissfully unaware. This premise unfolds into a clever satire of patriarchal norms in 1980s India, blending wit, dark humor, and a subtle message of female empowerment. The film is one of four standouts chosen for the MAMI Select initiative, highlighting diverse voices from across the country. The visual aesthetic is striking. Ms. Vijayakumar masterfully utilizes the iPhone's camera to create a warm, earthy palette dominated by ochres, maroons, and muted greens – reflecting the gritty realism of a middle-class South Indian household. Low-key lighting and eye-level shots foster a sense of intimacy and equality between viewer and subject, while capturing rich background detail that grounds the narrative in its specific context. She leverages the iPhone's computational photography capabilities, including its sensor-shift stabilisation, ProRes recording, and cinematic mode, to create this distinctive aesthetic. The deliberate choice to eschew traditional filmmaking equipment highlights both the accessibility and potential of mobile technology in cinematic creation. Speaking after the premiere, Ms. Vijayakumar revealed the film's genesis: drawing inspiration from her mother's childhood stories — particularly a memorable tale about an uncle who could communicate with ghosts — she sought to create a work rooted in personal experience and cultural memory. She subverts a common trope of Tamil cinema, the 'mass shot' (typically used for dramatic hero entrances and often rendered in high-frame-rate 4K), by employing it ironically to underscore the women's vulnerability and fear – a deliberate visual commentary on power dynamics. For tighter compositions demanding precision, Ms. Vijayakumar utilized the iPhone's 120mm equivalent lens, meticulously controlling narrative elements within each frame. Veteran filmmaker Vetri Maaran mentored Vijayakumar, offering crucial guidance that refined the script's realism and thematic resonance. His suggestion to replace a character initially conceived as an upper-caste Hindu priest with an outsider tasked with exorcising the ghost amplified the film's underlying message of social commentary. 'MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone' represents more than just a technical demonstration; it's a platform for diverse narratives and disruptive filmmaking practices, proving that compelling stories can emerge from unexpected tools. Ms. Vijayakumar hopes audiences will simply engage with the experience, a sentiment encapsulating the film's playful yet poignant spirit. Seeing Red is one of four standout films chosen for this year's 'MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone' initiative to showcase emerging Indian filmmakers and their linguistic, regional, and narrative diversity. The 2025 lineup also features Amrita Bagchi's Tinctoria (Hindi): A psychological thriller about fashion, ghosts, and colonial guilt; Rohin Raveendran Nair's Kovarty (Malayalam): A magical realist romance in the Alleppey backwaters; Chanakya Vyas's Mangya (Marathi): A coming-of-age tale about grief, a boy, and his rooster. All four used the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the M4 Max-powered MacBook Pro to shoot, edit, and push visual boundaries.
