A fresh controversy has erupted over Mohanlal’s upcoming film Athimanoharam. Kerala Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan has now declared that no movie shoots will be permitted at Sabarimala going forward. He has made it clear that Sabarimala cannot be treated like an ordinary film location. This comes just days after the Travancore Devaswom Board had granted conditional approval for the film’s team to shoot at the temple. The Forest Department later denied the required clearance, blocking the shoot entirely.
No More Movie Shoots At Sabarimala
Speaking to India Today, K Muraleedharan said that Sabarimala cannot become a regular location for film shoots going forward, regardless of who the actor or director is.
The minister explained that permission will only be given for movies that are directly related to Lord Ayyappa or other religious and mythological subjects. Normal commercial films, he said, simply cannot be allowed inside temple premises.
According to Muraleedharan, temples are not meant to be used as shooting locations for regular films, and he intends to review the entire episode in detail before deciding further steps.
His comments came soon after the Forest Department rejected the shoot request for Athimanoharam. The department said the area falls under the Periyar Tiger Reserve, and a Kerala High Court order restricts filming activity within that protected, sensitive zone.
All About Mohanlal’s Athimanoharam Row
The controversy began when the Travancore Devaswom Board granted permission for the Athimanoharam team to shoot scenes from Pamba right up to the Sannidhanam. This approval, however, came loaded with strict conditions.
One major condition was that the film could not show anything negative about Sabarimala or its religious beliefs and traditions. The makers were also required to submit the complete script to the Board for review before proceeding.
The Board further stated that the production needed separate clearance from the Forest Department to actually carry out the shoot. That clearance never came, which effectively stalled the entire plan at the pilgrimage site.
Directed by Tharun Moorthy, Athimanoharam stars Mohanlal alongside Meera Jasmine, Lalu Alex, Manoj K Jayan, Jagadish, Irshad, Sudheesh, and Pramod Veliyanad in supporting roles.
A large chunk of the film has already been shot in Thodupuzha and Kochi. The remaining schedule was planned across these two cities, along with Sabarimala, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, before the recent hurdle emerged.
Athimanoharam is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on December 24. Whether the disruption in the shoot impacts the release date remains to be seen.