Film-maker Sudha Kongara seeks HC stay on ‘Idhayam Murali’ movie release over ₹8.39 cr unpaid dues

Chennai: Acclaimed film-maker Sudha Kongara has moved the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the release of actor Atharvaa-starrer ‘Idhayam Murali’ that is scheduled for July 10, alleging that producer Aakash Baskaran’s Dawn Pictures Private Limited has failed to pay her contractual dues amounting to ₹8.39 crore.

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu on Tuesday heard preliminary submissions from advocates Nithyaesh Natraj and Vaibhav R. Venkatesh, appearing for Kongara and her celebrity management firm, Undertow Professional Services Private Limited.

The court also heard initial arguments from senior counsel P.H. Arvindh Pandian, appearing for Dawn Pictures, formerly known as Akra Entertainment Private Limited, and granted the production house time until July 8 to file its written submissions.

In the petition, Kongara has sought an interim injunction to prevent the release of Idhayam Murali until the alleged outstanding payments are cleared.

Dawn Pictures is headed by producer Aakash Baskaran, who also produced Sivakarthikeyan’s ‘Parasakthi’.

The plea is supported by an affidavit filed by Kongara’s husband, Kongara Nagarjuna Siva Prasad, who is also the director of Undertow Professional Services.

The affidavit describes Kongara as an internationally acclaimed film-maker and screenplay writer with several critically acclaimed films to her credit.

According to the affidavit, Kongara had initially entered into a director’s agreement with actor Suriya’s 2D Entertainment Private Limited on June 30, 2021, to direct the film ‘Purananooru’.

Though that agreement was subsequently terminated by mutual consent, the screenplay rights continued to remain with 2D Entertainment.

The petition states that Dawn Pictures later acquired the rights to the project and entered into a fresh director’s agreement with Kongara on July 2, 2024.

Since Undertow Professional Services had been appointed as the facilitator for the project, a tripartite agreement was executed between Kongara, Dawn Pictures and the management company, setting out the financial and contractual obligations of the parties.

Kongara has alleged that Dawn Pictures failed to honour its payment commitments under the agreement, leaving dues of ₹8.39 crore unpaid.

Arguing that the producer should not be allowed to commercially exploit another film while contractual obligations remain unsettled, she has requested the court to stay the release of ‘Idhayam Murali’ pending resolution of the dispute.

The High Court has posted the matter for further hearing after Dawn Pictures files its response on July 8, just two days before the film’s scheduled theatrical release on July 10.

IANS