From glorifying a criminal to celebrating impersonation: How Dulquer Salmaan's Kurup is affecting society

Movies inspired by real-life events have happened several times in the Indian film industry. And one such movie is going to hit the theaters soon, and it is the Mollywood flick Kurup, inspired by the life of Sukumara Kurup, one of the most wanted criminals in Kerala. Dulquer Salmaan is playing the title role in this movie, and the supporting star cast includes big names like Sunny Wayne, Indrajith Sukumaran, Shine Tom Chacko, Sobhita Dhulipala, Surabhi Lakshmi, and Hareesh Kanaran. 

Is Kurup glorifying a criminal act? 

Sukumara Kurup is a man who is accused of the murder of Chacko, a film representative. Sukumara Kurup did this heinous act to fake his own death so that he could claim a huge insurance amount. The incident happened in 1984, and even now, Kurup's whereabouts are unknown, despite a rigorous manhunt by the Kerala police in the 1980s and the 1990s. 

The main question that arises in the minds of the audiences is how a charming actor like Dulquer Salmaan will portray the role of a man with intense evil in his mind. As Dulquer is playing this role, a majority of audiences, especially people in their teenage and early twenties, could interpret evil deeds as heroic acts, and it could ultimately negatively impact society. 

The recently released trailer and song of the movie indicate that Kurup is being showcased as a stylish man, and the look of Dulquer has already gone viral on online spaces. Things will go out of hands if audiences welcome the brutal murder committed by Kurup with applause as it hits the big screen, and such a possibility is very high in Kerala, where youth recently showed their undemocratic attitude when two YouTuber brothers got arrested. 

Chacko's family is okay with the release of Kurup

Director Sreenath Rajendran has several times made it clear that the film is not glorifying Sukumara Kurup. But the ultimate question is whether people will start glorifying and celebrating the acts of Sukumara Kurup, as the character is being portrayed by a star like Dulquer Salmaan on screen. 

Recently, Chacko's family had also made it clear that they are okay with the release of Kurup. Chacko's son made these remarks after attending a special screening of the movie.