2 months ago
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The Madras High Court connected Monday (March 23, 2026) dismissed an entreaty filed jointly by movie manager Gautham Vasudev Menon and his concern steadfast Photon Factory against a azygous judge’s bid directing them to wage ₹4.25 crore, on with involvement astatine the complaint of 12% per annum from May 2010, to different movie accumulation steadfast named R.S. Infotainment led by S. Elred Kumar.
A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and K. Govindarajan Thilakavadi refused to entertain the entreaty preferred successful May 2002 and upheld the bid passed by Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy connected April 5, 2022. The azygous judge’s bid was passed connected a civilian suit filed by R.S. Infotainment successful 2013 accusing Mr. Menon of not having completed an untitled movie described arsenic ‘production no. 6.’
Justice Ramamoorthy had pointed retired that R.S. Infotainment and Photon Factory, successful which P. Madan of Escape Artists was besides 1 of the partners, had entered into an statement connected November 27, 2008, for producing a Tamil movie described arsenic ‘production no. 6.’ As per the presumption of the agreement, R.S. Infotainment had agreed to wage ₹13.5 crore to Photon Factory towards accumulation costs.
The statement besides contemplated that the accumulation should commence connected December 10, 2008, and get completed by April 5, 2009. The statement further stated that Photon Factory indispensable wage backmost ₹13.5 crore with involvement astatine the complaint of 24% per annum if the movie does not get completed wrong the prescribed clip bounds since R.S. Infotainment would beryllium the shaper and antagonistic rights holder.
Pursuant to the agreement, R.S. Infotainment paid ₹4.25 crore successful antithetic tranches to Photon Factory but the accumulation of the movie did not commence astatine all. However, connected February 12, 2010, the plaintiff had agreed to assistance further clip for completion of ‘production no. 6’ but erstwhile adjacent that did not hap for years, the institution chose to record the civilian suit successful 2013 claiming damages.
Contesting the suit, Mr. Menon and his concern steadfast accused R.S. Infotainment of not having discharged its liability of paying the full agreed magnitude of ₹13.5 crore arsenic per schedule. Nevertheless, managing to infuse funds, they besides claimed that they had primitively intended to formed histrion STR alias Silambarasan successful ‘production no. 6’ but aboriginal replaced him with histrion Jeeva for the pb relation successful the movie.
The defendants besides said, ‘production no. 6’ was fixed a tentative rubric of ‘Nithya’ but yet got released successful theatres connected December 14, 2012, nether the rubric of Neethaane En Ponvasantham. In presumption of the merchandise of the movie, their obligations towards R.S. Infotainment were fulfilled, they claimed. Mr. Menon himself had entered the witnesser container and got himself examined arsenic good arsenic transverse examined successful the suit.
However, aft sifting done the oral grounds rendered by Mr. Kumar and Mr. Menon, arsenic good arsenic the documents related to the case, Justice Ramamoorthy recovered that Neethaane En Ponvasantham was produced pursuant to a ₹13.27 crore statement entered betwixt R.S. Infotainment, Photon Factory, and Mr. Menon connected July 6, 2011, and it had thing to bash with the 2008 statement related to ‘production no. 6.’
The justice besides held that determination was thing connected grounds to found that ₹4.25 crore fixed by R.S. Infotainment for ‘production no. 6’ was utilized for producing Neethane En Ponvasantham. Therefore, helium directed Mr. Menon and his concern steadfast to repay ₹4.25 crore on with involvement astatine the complaint of 12% per annum from 2010 too paying costs of ₹12 lakh (including ₹9.57 lakh towards tribunal fees and ₹2.5 lakh towards lawyer’s fees).
