Abundantia Entertainment and Almighty Motion Picture are developing a ‘Chernobyl’-style thriller based on Ameer Shahul’s investigative book Heavy Metal, which exposes how Hindustan Unilever’s Kodaikanal thermometer factory allegedly dumped toxic mercury in 2001. The film will follow a female protagonist battling a powerful corporation, systemic apathy, and personal struggles, echoing Erin Brockovich and Dark Waters.
An investigative account of one of India's most devastating environmental disasters is heading to the screen.
The Hollywood Reporter India has learned that Abundantia Entertainment is currently developing a feature film adaptation of Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal, the acclaimed investigative book authored by former journalist and Greenpeace campaigner Ameer Shahul.
The book (published by Pan Macmillan) details the 2001 environmental catastrophe in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu and recounts how a Hindustan Unilever (HUL) thermometer factory allegedly dumped toxic mercury, causing severe health hazards and initiating a 15-year battle for justice by locals and Greenpeace.
According to sources, at the center of the narrative will be a female protagonist who takes on the might of a corporate giant and an entrenched system, all while navigating her own personal battles.
The project is reportedly being developed by Vikram Malhotra’s Abundantia Entertainment in association with Almighty Motion Picture, the studio behind the hit streaming series Made in India: A Titan Story.
“Tonally, the film is said to carry the DNA of Erin Brockovich, Dark Waters, and Chernobyl — a fast-paced, corporate cover-up, whistleblowers, environmental horror, and an institution more focused on reputation management than caring for people,” a source shared.
According to industry insiders, the project will also capture the broader geopolitical themes detailed in Shahul’s book: the systematic offloading of hazardous industries from wealthy Western nations to developing countries (a pattern the book explicitly parallels with the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy), "giving the eventual film a bigger thematic canvas than a single-factory story," the source added.
The real-world campaign gained massive international traction after Greenpeace spearheaded global demonstrations, amplified by rapper Sofia Ashraf’s viral protest track "Kodaikanal Won't" (set to the beat of Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda"). The movement eventually drew global support, with actors including Mark Ruffalo publicly backing the cause and amplifying the petition to his fans.
Casting for the lead roles is currently underway.