Is Sarvam Maya inspired by a true story? Akhil Sathyan REVEALS…

The Malayalam horror-fantasy film Sarvam Maya is currently making waves. The film has completed its theatrical run and is now available for streaming on an OTT platform. The film has generated a worldwide revenue of Rs 149.07 crore with a production cost of approximately Rs 30 crore. The film which features Nivin Pauly, Riya Shibu, Vineeth and Methil Devika was released in theaters on December 25 2025. Sarvam Maya is currently available for streaming on Jio Hotstar and viewers are responding positively to the show.

Is Sarvam Maya a real-life story?

Meanwhile, the question on many viewers’ minds is whether Sarvam Maya is inspired by a true story. The film’s director, Akhil Sathyan, recently revealed this in an interview with OTTplay. He stated that a crucial emotional part of the film is inspired by a tragic real-life incident. The scene between Maya and her brother, where the doctor says goodbye before removing her life support, is based on a true story. In his words,

Akhil Sathyan explained that a close family friend of his had a similar heartbreaking experience, where a child had to make the decision to remove life support for a patient in a coma. He said it was an incredibly unbearable and emotional moment that he could never forget. That incident inspired him to include this scene in Sarvam Maya. In his words, “One of our close family friends experienced a similar situation, and a child was asked to decide on removing the life support of a victim in a coma. It is an unbearable pain. I will never forget that traumatic event, which motivated me to include it as the key emotive idea in Sarvam Maya.” Akhil also mentioned that he is not comfortable writing entirely fictional stories and therefore often draws inspiration from real-life events and people.

All about Sarvam Maya: Story and success

As for the film’s plot, Sarvam Maya revolves around a young man named Prabhendu Namboodiri, who comes from a prestigious family in Kerala. His parents want him to become a priest, but Prabhendu dreams of becoming a singer. Due to financial difficulties, he gives up on his dream and returns home, taking up a part-time job as a priest with his cousin. During this time, a friendly ghost named Delulu enters his life, whose real name is Maya Mathew and who has a very tragic past.

Speaking about the film’s success, Akhil Sathyan said that he was confident that Sarvam Maya would be liked by the audience, but its blockbuster success surprised even him. He mentioned that both he and Nivin Pauly wanted this film to be successful. According to Akhil, “Sarvam Maya contains all the commercial elements needed for a family entertainer, including comedy, songs, and—above all—feel-good moments that are relevant to today’s world without being over the top. Additionally, I insisted on using typical situations that sometimes show up as a villain rather than any brutal antagonist in the narrative.”