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Court Blocks Film Release Over Payment Dispute
10 Jul
Summary
- Madras High Court refused to halt the 'Idhayam Murali' release.
- Director Sudha Kongara claims ₹8.39 crore in unpaid dues.
- Court directs dispute resolution via arbitration tribunal.
On July 10, 2026, the Madras High Court denied an interim injunction sought by director Sudha Kongara, allowing the theatrical release of 'Idhayam Murali'. Ms. Kongara had petitioned the court to halt the release of the film, directed by Akash Baskaran, due to outstanding payments from Dawn Pictures for her previous directorial work, 'Parasakthi'.
Ms. Kongara and her company, Undertow Professional Services, claim Dawn Pictures owes ₹8.39 crore for directing 'Parasakthi'. They stated the agreement stipulated a ₹15 crore remuneration, with principal photography commencing in January 2025 and the movie releasing on January 9, 2026. Dawn Pictures allegedly defaulted on payments, prompting Ms. Kongara to seek an injunction against the new film's release.
Dawn Pictures countered that Ms. Kongara received ₹4.12 crore from 2D Entertainment for the script of 'Parasakthi' while entering into a director's agreement for ₹15 crore with them. The production house also stated they acquired the movie's intellectual property rights for ₹5.8 crore and paid Ms. Kongara ₹8.5 crore to date. The court directed both parties to resolve their financial dispute before an arbitral tribunal.
