Officer On Duty In Legal Trouble! Man Claims Malayalam Film Exposed His Phone Number To Millions Without Permission

The

makers of the Malayalam hit Officer On Duty have landed in legal trouble after an Ernakulam-based IT professional alleged that the film displayed his personal mobile number on screen without his consent, resulting in months of harassment, distress and unsolicited calls. A Kerala court has now directed the police to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the complaint. The case has gained traction as the complainant claims the issue continued after Officer On Duty began streaming on Netflix, exposing his number to a much wider audience. Read on to know more about the case.

Officer On Duty lands in trouble

According to reports in Bar And Bench, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Devika Lal on May 29 directed the police to conduct a preliminary enquiry under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.The court has asked the police to submit their findings by June 11, 2026.

The complainant has alleged that his active personal mobile number was used in a scene from Officer On Duty without his knowledge or permission. He claims the number appeared during a crucial sequence in which it was shown as the contact number of a doctor portrayed in the film. According to the complaint, the number has been in his exclusive use for several years and is linked to essential services, including his bank accounts, Aadhaar card, PAN card and professional communications.The petitioner alleged that his troubles began after the theatrical release of the Kunchacko Boban-starrer and intensified once the film started streaming on Netflix in March 2025. He claimed he began receiving a large volume of calls and messages from people across India and even from abroad. The complaint paints a disturbing picture of the impact the alleged disclosure had on his life. According to court documents, the caller behaviour went beyond ordinary inconvenience.The complainant further alleged that despite approaching the Cyber Cell and making representations to the producers of the film, no effective action was taken. As a result, he approached the court seeking directions for the registration of an FIR and a formal police investigation. The complaint names several parties, including producer Martin Prakkat, co-producers Sibi Chavara and Renjith Nair, along with Netflix, Zee Entertainment, Meta and WhatsApp, among others.

The petitioner has alleged that the unauthorised use of his number amounts to violations under the Information Technology Act, 2000, including Section 66C related to identity theft and Section 66D concerning cheating by personation using computer resources. He has also cited provisions under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

More about Officer On Duty

Meanwhile, Officer On Duty remains one of the most successful Malayalam films of 2025. Directed by Jithu Ashraf in his directorial debut and written by Shahi Kabir, the crime action thriller stars Kunchacko Boban in the lead role. The film also features Vishak Nair, Priyamani, Jagadish, Ramzan Muhammed, Aishwarya Raj and Leya Mammen in supporting roles.Released theatrically on February 20, 2025, the film received positive reviews for its plot, performances and music. Particular praise was directed towards Kunchacko Boban, Jagadish and Vishak Nair. Following its successful theatrical run, Officer On Duty premiered on Netflix on March 20, 2025.