Sudha Kongara. File
| Photograph Credit score: The Hindu
Movie director Sudha Kongara has moved the Madras Excessive Court docket to restrain the discharge of actor Atharvaa-starrer Idhayam Murali on July 10, 2026, for the reason that film’s director, Aakash Baskaran, who was additionally the producer of Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Parasakthi had reportedly not paid her dues to the tune of ₹8.39 crore.
Justice Ok. Kumaresh Babu, on Tuesday (June 30), heard preliminary submissions superior by advocates Nithyaesh Natraj and Vaibhav R. Venkatesh for Ms. Kongara and her movie star administration firm Undertow Skilled Providers Non-public Restricted since that they had approached the courtroom collectively.
The decide additionally heard the preliminary arguments of senior counsel P.H. Arvindh Pandian for Mr. Baskaran’s manufacturing agency Daybreak Footage Non-public Restricted, beforehand referred to as Akra Leisure Non-public Restricted, and granted time until July 8 for the respondent to file its written submissions.
In his affidavit, Ms. Kongara’s husband, Kongara Nagarjuna Siva Prasad, who was additionally the director of Undertow Skilled Providers, mentioned that his spouse is a distinguished and celebrated movie director and screenplay author of worldwide reputation and he or she has made many critically-acclaimed movies.
Preliminary settlement
On June 30, 2021, Ms. Kongara had entered right into a director’s settlement with actor Suriya’s 2D Leisure Non-public Restricted for making a movie titled Purananooru. Nonetheless, the settlement was terminated by mutual consent after a number of years however the rights of the script continued to vest with 2D Leisure.
Daybreak Footage had acquired the rights and entered into recent director’s settlement with Ms. Kongara on July 2, 2024. Because the director had appointed Undertow Skilled Providers because the facilitator, Mr. Siva Prasad too had signed the tripartite settlement beneath which events agreed to a number of phrases.
Renumeration
As per the settlement, Daybreak Footage needed to pay a complete remuneration of ₹15 crore, in several tranches, to the facilitator for the companies rendered by the director. Initially, ₹3 crore needed to be paid upon signing of the settlement, adopted by ₹1.5 crore on graduation of capturing, ₹3 crore on 50% completion of capturing and so forth.
Claiming that the director had strictly adhered to the timelines by commencing the capturing in August 2024 and the principal images in January 2025, Mr. Siva Prasad mentioned that the dubbing was accomplished in November 2025 and the primary copy was delivered in December 2025. The film, renamed Parasakthi, additionally received launched on January 9, 2026, as per schedule.
Nonetheless, he complained that the manufacturing home didn’t make a few of the funds on time and defaulted on a number of others. It was additionally dropped at the discover of the courtroom that the director was entitled to a 15% of the share of income from the exploitation of Parasakthi as per the bonus clause of the settlement.
Aspiring to provoke arbitration proceedings for recovering the dues, the candidates mentioned, Daybreak Footage had no identifiable tangible property equivalent to immovable properties, crops or machineries that may very well be taken as safety till the conclusion of the proceedings.
To get well dues
The paid-up share capital of Daybreak Footage was additionally solely ₹3.10 crore as towards the current declare of ₹8.39 crore. Due to this fact, there was no different means however to cope with the manufacturing agency’s subsequent venture, Idhayam Murali, to safe the dues to the candidates pending arbitration proceedings, the courtroom was knowledgeable.
Printed – June 30, 2026 03:03 pm IST
