Director Gautham Vasudev Menon has suffered a legal setback after the Supreme Court upheld an earlier order of the Madras High Court in a long-pending financial dispute involving producer Elred Kumar of RS Infotainment. The apex court dismissed the director’s appeal, making it clear that there was no reason to interfere with the High Court’s findings. Thus, Gautham Menon He will now have to repay Rs 4.25 crore with interest at 12 per cent per annum as per the court order. The ruling marks the latest development in a case that has been litigated for more than a decade.
The case dates back to the 2008 film deal with Silambarasan
As reported by The Hindu, the dispute started after RS Infotainment agreed with Gautham Menon in 2008 to produce a film starring Simbu. According to the producer, an advance of Rs 4.25 crore was paid to the filmmaker for the project. During the course of the proceedings, Gautham Menon’s lawyer claimed that the 2012 film ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’ was made under the same agreement and that the director had fulfilled his obligations under the agreement. But the Division Bench of the Madras High Court has rejected this contention.
Court rejects Gautham Menon’s plea on ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’
During the proceedings, Gautham Menon’s legal team argued that the 2012 film ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’ had been made under the same agreement and that the director had fulfilled his contractual obligations. But the Madras High Court Division Bench dismissed the suit. The court observed that “Neethaane En Ponvasantham” was produced under a separate agreement signed in 2011 and was not related to the original 2008 contract with RS Infotainment. It also concluded that the advance of Rs 4.25 crore received under the earlier agreement had not been utilized for this film.
Gautham Menon’s appeal dismissed, High Court order upheld
Following the Division Bench’s decision, Gautham Menon and his production banner, 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, on the issue under consideration, said that they did not find any proper reason to interfere with the judgment of the Madras High Court and dismissed the appeal. With the apex court upholding the earlier order, the order directing Gautham Menon to pay Rs 4.25 crore along with 12 per cent annual interest from May 2010 has reached its end and ended the long legal battle.