Chennai: The highly anticipated big-budget film Thangalaan, starring Vikram, is facing an unexpected setback just days before its release due to a directive from the Madras High Court. The court has ordered K.E. Gnanavel Raja, the owner of Studio Green—who is also producing Thangalaan and Suriya’s film Kanguva—to deposit ₹1 crore each before the release of these films.
The court’s directive comes based on an executive petition filed by an official appointed by the High Court to track the financial transactions of the late landowner and financier Arjunlal. The bench, comprising Justices G. Jayachandran and C.V. Karthikeyan, has demanded that Studio Green comply with this order.
An official appointed by the High Court found that Gnanavel Raja owes ₹10.35 crore to Sunderdas. To recover this amount, the court was approached, but Raja argued that the money did not need to be returned due to another existing agreement between the parties.
Arjunlal and Studio Green had planned to invest ₹40 crore each in film production. While Arjunlal provided initial funding for pre-production costs, he could not provide the remaining amount. As a result, Raja stated in court that an agreement was made to grant Arjunlal the Hindi remake rights of three films: All in All Azhagu Raja, Biryani, and Madras, in exchange for the initial funding.
However, due to a lack of clarity regarding the agreement and proper documentation for the remake rights, the court rejected Studio Green’s defense and accepted the official’s petition. The High Court had directed Studio Green to return ₹10.30 crore plus 18% interest in 2019.
Thangalaan is scheduled for release on August 15, and Kanguva on October 10. The court has mandated that ₹1 crore be deposited a day before each film’s release.
