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I watched vertigo recently and I noticed that there were some really striking similarities between vertigo and Chandramukhi/ Manichitrathazhu /Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

Is it true that the makers really copied Vertigo , or was it really original ?

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I recently read the novella The Anastasia syndrome by Mary Higgin Clarke and found it very similar in theme to Manichitrathazhu. This novel was published first in 1989 and the movie was released in 1993. If it is a adaptation of the novel then it is a brilliant adaptation. – user2158 Oct 8 '12 at 12:15

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Manichitrathazhu story is influenced from a tragedy that happened in Alummoottil Tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in the 19th century. Here heroine suffers from personality disorder and some strange things happen, solves problem with exorcism and psychiatry.

Where as in Vertigo, a retired police detective suffering from acrophobia who is hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her peculiar behavior. This novel is written by Boileau-Narcejac. Hero suffers from acrophobia.

There might be few scenes borrowed from Vertigo.

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May be some scenes and plot elements match but nothing else is common in between. Manichitrathazhu seems to be an original work. – Vimal Raj Dec 2 '11 at 11:12
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I don't find any similarities between Vertigo, and also I feel other south indian remakes of Manichithrathazhu seems to be medically incorrect where Ganga's anger is wrongly directed to lead hero's character.

Manichithrathazhu script is said to be an work inspired from the case dairies of a Psychiatrist. It is evident from the way the movie has made with a decent medical accuracy by which it portrays a patient suffering from Dissociative identity disorder. Split personality / multiple personality has its root causes in child-hood trauma (sexual abuse and other trauma, including dejection). Lonely childhood of Ganga has enough clues to establish roots of DID. More importantly movie has strong themes suggesting that the dejection from Nakulan could be the trigger for DID in Ganga's adulthood. Watch carefully two scenes when

  1. Ganga ask Nakulan to wake her up when he is ready to sleep after he complete work (both of them are newly weds as per the opening scenes from the movie)
  2. Ganga passionately talks about opening Manichithrathazhu while Nakulan is still working (a work Computer in the bed room). Nakulan nods her the permission to open without even looking at her.

Over all it feels like Manichithrathazhu is a serious attempt to portray DID and not inspired from Vertigo.

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