Suriya’s Support Wins Praise from Vaa Vaathiyaar Producer KE Gnanavel Raja Amid Debt Accusations

All legal hurdles forKarthi’s first release of the year film Vaa Vaathiyaar have been cleared, allowing it to release in cinema halls on January 14 as scheduled. The film’s release had been uncertain due

to an financial disputes, which has now been resolved following the court's orders. With the dues all cleared, the interim stay on the film has been lifted, much to the relief of the makers and the excitement of audiences eagerly awaiting another Pongal treat. Ahead of the release, producer KE Gnanavel Raja addressed speculations about his finances during the film's press meet. He went on to credit Suriya for standing by him during his tough phase.

What Was Vaa Vaathiyaar Debt Controversy About?

Speaking at the promotional meet, KE Gnanavel Raja said, “Some of our previous films did not perform as expected, and a lot of negativity spread, suggesting that we had left film production. Let me make it clear—we are very much active. I am a producer who has no outstanding debt in the industry today. Those spreading exaggerated allegations are more dangerous than those who merely say I am in debt.” The controversy stemmed from a loan taken from Arjunlal Sunderdas, which later became the subject of legal proceedings. The court-appointed administrator managing Arjunlal’s assets filed a plea in the Madras High Court to recover Rs 21.78 crore, including interest, from Gnanavel Raja. The petition also requested that the court restrain the release of Vaa Vaathiyaar until the dues were cleared. Eventually, the full pending amount was settled, resolving the matter completely.

Producer KE Gnanavel Raja Credits Suriya for Support

KE Gnanavel Raja also expressed gratitude to Suriya, saying, “Suriya anna silently stood by me and showed immense care. He gave me the courage to navigate the tough processes I had to handle.” Addressing the delay in the film’s release, he added, “We should have released in December last year, but due to a few reasons, we couldn’t. However, this date works perfectly. I deeply regret that Jana Nayagan could not attend this festival, but missing this release would have affected our commitments with other partners.”KE Gnanavel Raja had earlier produced Suriya’s Rs 300 crore-budget film Kanguva, which failed at the box office.Directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, Vaa Vaathiyaar also stars Krithi Shetty, Raj Kiran, and Sathyaraj in pivotal roles.