Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, taken into custody on Monday, will be presented before a court in Kochi on Tuesday. He was detained at Mumbai airport following a lookout notice issued by Kerala Police in connection with a complaint lodged by an actor. A police team led by the Elamakkara SHO later brought him to Kochi, and his mobile phone has been seized for investigation.
The director’s arrest was formally recorded late on Monday night after a medical examination. Police said the complaint against him involves allegations of harassment, insulting womanhood, spreading defamatory content and circulating an allegedly fake voice recording. Sanal has dismissed the charges as fabricated.
The actor had originally written to the Kochi City Police Commissioner, who referred the matter to the Elamakkara police. Officers registered a case in January while Sanal was abroad, and issued a lookout notice to ensure custody once he returned to India.
On Sunday, Sanal was stopped at Mumbai airport and subsequently transported to Kochi. While being escorted at a railway station, he appeared distressed and fell onto the platform in front of reporters. Speaking to the media, he questioned the police action: “Is loving someone a crime? Why am I being treated like this?”
Police had earlier removed social media posts by Sanal that referenced and tagged the actor, including audio clips attributed to her. A previous case filed against him in 2022 is still pending, in which he was arrested and later released on bail. The actor has now alleged that the harassment has continued, prompting the latest complaint.
Sanal is best known for helming critically acclaimed indie productions like Ozhivudivasathe Kali, Sexy Durga and Chola, among others. While Ozhivudivasathe Kali won the Best Film at the 46th Kerala State Film Award in 2016, Sexy Durga won him the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2017.
