The Malayalam film industry is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding the blockbuster survival thriller, "Manjummel Boys," which has become the highest-grossing film in the industry's history. News has surfaced that actor and producer Soubin Shahir, along with co-producers Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony, were arrested and subsequently released on bail in connection with a financial fraud case linked to the film.
The case originates from a complaint filed by Siraj Valiyaveettil Hameed, a businessman based in Aroor, who alleges that the film's producers failed to honor a profit-sharing agreement. Hameed claims he invested ₹7 crore into Parava Films, the production company behind "Manjummel Boys," with the understanding that he would receive 40% of the film's profits. However, he alleges that the producers did not deliver on this agreement, leading to accusations of financial cheating and breach of trust. According to the complaint, only ₹5.99 crore was returned to the complainant.
Following the complaint, the Maradu Police initiated an investigation and submitted a report stating that the accused had conspired to defraud the complainant. The police report also indicated discrepancies in the film's production costs, suggesting that the producers inflated the expenses from ₹18.65 crore to ₹22 crore. Furthermore, the police alleged that Soubin Shahir and Babu Shahir did not contribute any funds to the film's production, while Shawn Antony contributed around ₹1 crore.
On June 26, 2025, the Kerala High Court granted anticipatory bail to Soubin Shahir, his father Babu Shahir, and co-producer Shaun Antony. The court ruled that custodial interrogation was not necessary at this stage and directed the accused to appear before the investigation team on July 7. The court also instructed that if any of the accused are taken into custody, they should be immediately released on bail. On July 7, 2025, Soubin Shahir was formally arrested at the Maradu Police Station but was released shortly afterward due to the anticipatory bail granted by the Kerala High Court.
The High Court noted that the dispute appeared to be of a civil and commercial nature and should not be treated like a standard criminal case. Despite granting bail, the court acknowledged signs of criminality and mandated limited custody for interrogation on July 7 and 8, with immediate release thereafter.
In light of these allegations, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has also initiated an investigation into the financial records of "Manjummel Boys" and other Malayalam blockbuster films from the past five years. The ED is seeking legal advice to freeze the bank accounts of the producers and distributors of "Manjummel Boys," amidst allegations of inflating ticket collection figures for money laundering purposes. The ED's investigation was triggered by disputes over profit sharing and has led to the questioning of Soubin Shahir and Shawn Antony.
The controversy surrounding "Manjummel Boys" extends beyond the financial fraud allegations. Music composer Ilaiyaraaja issued a formal notice to the producers for the unauthorized use of his song "Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan" from the film "Gunaa".
The financial fraud case against the "Manjummel Boys" team has brought scrutiny to the Malayalam film industry, with allegations of black money practices and inflated production costs. The ED is now gathering financial information, including production costs, of all successful films produced in Kerala over the past five years.
