Malayalam film Lovely, largely overlooked in cinemas, is suddenly making waves due to a copyright dispute over a computer-generated housefly. Check out the CGI fly which is in copyright dispute here.
Lovely, a 3D romantic comedy that quietly released in cinemas in May 2025, is now at the centre of a copyright tussle. The controversy began when Eega producer Sai Korrapati accused the makers of Lovely of copying the animated housefly character famously featured in the 2012 hit directed by S.S. Rajamouli.
While Lovely struggled to make a mark at the box office, it is now being talked about widely, thanks to this unexpected legal twist. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video in its original Malayalam version with subtitles, though only in 2D format.
Director Dileesh Karunakaran has dismissed the claims of plagiarism, saying his team created the visual effects from scratch. He has promised to back his statement with technical evidence if the matter reaches court.
This dispute raises the question of inspiration and imitation where CGI is increasingly used in regional cinema. With both parties digging in their heels, the matter seems headed for a legal face-off.
Interestingly, the debate has breathed new life into a film that otherwise passed under the radar. Whether the attention turns into appreciation or criticism remains to be seen, but for now, Lovely is enjoying an unexpected second wind, all thanks to a computer-generated fly.
Lovely is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Dileesh Nair. The film stars Mathew Thomas, Sivaangi Krishnakumar, and Manoj K. Jayan in key roles. Released on 16 May 2025, Lovely features an imaginative 3D visual experience and earned some praise for its direction and technical aspects. However, it received mixed to negative reviews overall, with criticism largely aimed at its weak script. Despite its ambitious approach, the film failed to perform at the box office and was declared a commercial failure.
