Karthi’s Vaa Vaathiyaar release stalled again as Madras HC refuses to lift stay over Rs 21.78 crore dues

Karthi’s Vaa Vaathiyaar release stalled again as Madras HC refuses to lift stay over Rs 21.78 crore dues

• Madras High Court refuses to lift stay on Vaa Vaathiyaar's release
• Film cannot be released until Rs 21.78 crore dues are cleared
• Producer's partial repayment offer rejected by the court

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Karthi-starrer Vaa Vaathiyaar continues to remain stalled as the Madras High Court has refused to lift the stay on the film’s release, directing the makers to first settle long-pending financial dues. The ruling comes at a time when the Tamil film industry is witnessing a reshuffle of release calendars following the indefinite postponement of Jana Nayagan, starring Thalapathy Vijay, due to an ongoing legal dispute related to its CBFC certification.

With a prime Pongal release window suddenly opening up, the makers of Vaa Vaathiyaar had hoped to bring the long-delayed film to theatres. Originally scheduled for a December 12 release, the project was earlier postponed after legal complications surfaced. However, the Madras High Court has now made it clear that the film cannot be released in any form until the outstanding dues are fully cleared.

During the latest hearing on Friday, a Division Bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan refused to relax the conditions imposed earlier. The court reiterated that Vaa Vaathiyaar cannot be released across theatres, OTT platforms, or any digital medium until the producer clears dues amounting to Rs 21.78 crore. The production house had reportedly sought permission for a Pongal release by offering partial repayment, but the bench observed that ample time had already been granted and repeated assurances had not resulted in a settlement.

The court also took note of producer Gnanavel Raja’s repayment history. His legal team offered to pay Rs 3.75 crore within 24 hours and submitted property documents as security for the remaining amount. However, the bench rejected the proposal, stating that previous deadline extensions had not been honoured and that further leniency was not warranted.

The case stems from a loan of Rs 10.35 crore taken by the producer from businessman Arjunlal Sundardas. With accumulated interest, the amount has risen to Rs 21.78 crore. Sundardas was declared insolvent by the Madras High Court in 2014, and the official assignee managing his assets recently sought recovery of the dues, requesting an interim injunction on the film’s release.

Directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, Vaa Vaathiyaar is an action-comedy featuring Karthi and Krithi Shetty in lead roles, with Rajkiran, Sathyaraj, Anandaraj, Karunakaran, and GM Sundar in key supporting roles. Until the financial dispute is resolved, the film’s release remains firmly on hold.