Director Gautham Vasudev Menon has faced legal trouble after Supreme Court agreed with the Madras High Court judgment in the long-running financial dispute involving producer Elred Kumar of RS Infotainment. The high court rejected the appeal filed by the official and clearly stated that there is no reason to interfere with the order of the high court. Therefore, Gautham Menon now he has to repay 4.25 crore with interest at 12 percent per annum as per the court’s directions. The ruling marks the latest development in a case that has been contested for more than a decade.
The case dates back to a 2008 movie deal with Silambarasan
According to reports in The Hindu, the controversy started after RS Infotainment tied up with Gautham Menon in 2008 to produce a film in which he played Simbu. According to the producer, an amount of Rs 4.25 crore was given to the producer of the film. During the trial, Gautham Menon’s lawyer said that the film ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham,’ which was made in 2012, was made under the same agreement and that the director had acted in accordance with the agreement. But the Division Bench of the Madras High Court rejected this.
Court rejects Gautham Menon’s defense on ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’
Meanwhile, Gautham Menon’s legal team said that the 2012 film ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’ was made under the same agreement and that the director fulfilled his obligations. But the Division Bench of the Madras High Court rejected the decision. The court observed that ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’ was produced under a different agreement signed in 2011 and was not related to the original 2008 agreement with RS Infotainment. It also said that Rs 4.25 crore received under the previous contract was not used for the film.
Gautham Menon’s appeal dismissed, Supreme Court upheld
Following the Division Bench judgment, Gautham Menon and his manufacturing label, Photon Factory, moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order. The appeal was heard by a Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran. The judges in this case said that they did not find any valid reason to interfere with the judgment of the Madras high court and dismissed the appeal. With the Supreme Court upholding the original verdict, the order ordering Gautham Menon to pay Rs 4.25 crore at 12 percent per annum from May 2010 has come to an end and ended the long battle.