Sudha Kongara seeks Madras High Court ban on Idhayam Murali release over unpaid dues

Film director Sudha Kongara has petitioned the Madras High Court to stall the scheduled July 10, 2026 release of the actor Atharvaa-starrer 'Idhayam Murali'. The petition, heard on Tuesday, June 30, seeks to block the film's release over an outstanding dues dispute of ₹8.39 crore regarding her previous film, 'Parasakthi', which was produced by Dawn Pictures Private Limited.

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu heard preliminary submissions from advocates Nithyaesh Natraj and Vaibhav R. Venkatesh, representing Ms. Kongara and her celebrity management company, Undertow Professional Services Private Limited. The petitioners approached the court jointly to secure the unpaid dues before initiating arbitration.

Senior counsel P.H. Arvindh Pandian presented preliminary arguments on behalf of Dawn Pictures Private Limited, formerly known as Akra Entertainment Private Limited, which is owned by director and producer Aakash Baskaran. Justice Babu granted the production firm until July 8 to file its written submissions.

According to the affidavit filed by Ms. Kongara's husband, Kongara Nagarjuna Siva Prasad, who is also the director of Undertow Professional Services, the dispute stems from a tripartite agreement signed on July 2, 2024. Under this agreement, Dawn Pictures acquired the rights to the script of 'Parasakthi'—originally titled 'Purananooru'—and agreed to pay a total remuneration of ₹15 crore to the facilitator in various tranches.

The affidavit stated that Ms. Kongara adhered to all production timelines, commencing shooting in August 2024 and delivering the first copy of 'Parasakthi' in December 2025. The film was released on schedule on January 9, 2026. However, the petitioners alleged that Dawn Pictures defaulted on several payments and failed to share 15 percent of the profits as agreed under a bonus clause.

To recover the ₹8.39 crore debt, the petitioners argued they had no choice but to target Dawn Pictures' upcoming project, 'Idhayam Murali'. The production house reportedly has a paid-up share capital of only ₹3.10 crore and lacks identifiable tangible assets, such as immovable properties or machinery, to serve as security during arbitration.