Princy Francis, a teacher from Kodungallur, has won a legal battle after her photo was used in the 2016 Malayalam film Oppam without her permission.
The Chalakudy Munsiff Court ruled in her favour, ordering the film’s producers to remove her image and pay her Rs. 1 lakh in compensation, along with Rs. 1,68,000 for legal expenses.
According to Manorama News, Princy Francis, who teaches at MES Asmabi College, and is the wife of Thrissur native Saji Joseph found that her photograph was used in the movie while watching Oppam with her family during the Onam holidays in 2016.
By then, the film was already watched widely.
In a scene at the 29th minute, the character played by actress Anusree is seen hiding a crime file. In this sequence, a photograph of a woman, shown as a murder victim, appears briefly. To her shock, Princy Francis realised it was her own photo, which she believes was taken from her blog without her consent.
After facing embarrassment and distress, she decided to take legal action. She first approached the High Court, which directed her to approach the Chalakudy Munsiff Court.
A legal notice was sent to the film’s production company, but there was no response. Advocate Narayanan Kutty represented her in the case, arguing that using a woman’s image without permission was a serious violation of privacy and ethical standards. The court, presided over by M.S. Shiny, heard the case.
The complaint was filed against the film’s producer, Antony Perumbavoor, and director, Priyadarshan. The accused denied any wrongdoing, but the court ruled in favour of Princy Francis, ordering the removal of the image and compensation for damages, Manorama News report added.
Princy Francis stated that she pursued the case as part of her social commitment, hoping to set a precedent for protecting the rights of ordinary women. She expressed confidence that this ruling would help prevent similar incidents in the future and raise awareness about the importance of personal image rights in the film industry