Director Sudha Kongara has moved the Madras High Court, alleging that she is yet to receive Rs 8.39 crore in remuneration for her film Parasakthi from production banner Dawn Pictures.
According to submissions made before the court on Tuesday, Sudha had signed an agreement to direct Parasakthi for a total remuneration of Rs 15 crore, with GST taking the overall amount payable to Rs 17.70 crore. Her counsel argued that while Rs 9.31 crore has already been paid, the remaining Rs 8.39 crore is still pending.
Claiming that the film has already been released and that she had transferred all intellectual property rights related to Parasakthi under the agreement, Sudha sought interim relief under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act.
As part of her plea, she also requested the court to restrain the release of Idhayam Murali, another film produced by Dawn Pictures and scheduled to hit theatres on July 10. Her legal team argued that the production house was moving ahead with a new release while allegedly failing to clear dues owed to her.
The counsel further submitted that Dawn Pictures had publicly described Parasakthi as a successful venture and claimed it earned around ₹100 crore but had not settled the balance remuneration. Hearing the matter, Justice Kumaresh Babu directed that Parasakthi should not have a satellite release until July 8. The court also asked the production house to file its response by July 7 regarding Sudha’s request to pause the release of Idhayam Murali.
It was clarified before the court that Parasakthi’s OTT release had already taken place and that Sudha’s request relates only to its satellite rights. The matter is expected to be heard again on July 8.
Dawn Pictures, founded by Aakash Baskaran, began producing films with Dhanush's Idli Kadai last year and followed it up with Parasakthi in January this year. Sivakarthikeyan's 25th film, the Sudha Kongara directorial, also stars Atharvaa, Sreeleela and Ravi Mohan in lead roles and opened to mixed reviews upon release.
Meanwhile, Aakash Baskaran is making his directorial debut with Idhayam Murali, his second collaboration with Atharvaa after Parasakthi. Also starring Kayadu Lohar, Fahadh Faasil, Preity Mukhudhan, Thaman, Rakshan and Dravid Selvam, among others, the film is scheduled for release on July 10 after multiple delays. However, the film's release on the fixed date now rests upon the court's verdict.
