Parasakthi Director Sudha Kongara Moves Court Over Rs 8.39 Crore Unpaid Remuneration, Seeks Stay On Idhayam Murali Release

Director

Sudha Kongara has moved the Madras High Court seeking Rs 8.39 crore allegedly pending as remuneration for the Tamil film Parasakthi. Filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, the plea claims that despite the film’s release and partial payment, the amount remains unpaid. Sudha Kongara has also sought interim protection, including a stay on the release of Idhayam Murali, produced by the same banner, Dawn Pictures.

Sudha Kongara moves Madras High Court over Rs 8.39 crore dues

Sudha Kongara has stated that although the film has already been released and invoices were raised, a portion of her agreed fee remains unpaid by the production house, Dawn Pictures. According to her counsel, the total remuneration agreed for directing Parasakthi was Rs 15 crore, with GST payable separately, bringing the total to Rs 17.70 crore. However, only Rs 9.31 crore has been paid so far, leaving Rs 8.39 crore outstanding. It was further submitted that Sudha Kongara had transferred complete intellectual property rights related to the film as part of the agreement, but the full consideration was not honoured even after release.

Court’s interim directions

The Madras High Court, presided over by Justice K Kumaresh Babu, directed that there should be no satellite release of Parasakthi until July 8. The court also asked the respondent to file its counter by July 7 in response to Sudha Kongara’s plea seeking to restrain the July 10 release of Idhayam Murali, which is also produced by Dawn Pictures. The court clarified that the OTT release of Parasakthi had already taken place, and the current relief sought was limited to its satellite broadcast.

Sudha Kongara’s counsel argued that the production house itself had described Parasakthi as a commercial success, reportedly grossing over Rs 100 crore. Despite this, the balance payment had not been cleared. The counsel also mentioned that the petition was filed well in advance of the release of Idhayam Murali, to avoid claims that it was a last-minute legal move intended to disrupt the film’s release schedule. The matter will be heard again on July 8.Sudha Kongara’s Parasakthi stars Sivakarthikeyan, Atharvaa Murali, and Ravi Mohan in lead roles. The sociopolitical drama is set in 1960s Tamil Nadu and is based on the state’s student-led anti-Hindi agitation. The film also marked the Tamil film debut of Sreeleela. On the technical front, it had music by GV Prakash (his 100th film as a composer), cinematography by Ravi K Chandran, editor Sathish Suriya, and stunts by Supreme Sundar.