MOVIE DESK: Madras HC Blocks Release of Karthi’s Vaa Vaathiyaar
Film Release on Hold
Karthi’s latest venture, Vaa Vaathiyaar, faces an indefinite postponement after the Madras High Court blocked its rollout.
Directed by Nalan Kumarasamy and backed by Studio Green’s Gnanavel Raja, the action-comedy was eyeing a December 12 premiere.
This comes right after an earlier shift from December 5 to dodge clashes with other big releases.
Roots of the Financial Feud
The snag traces back to a 2011 pact where Gnanavel Raja and the late businessman Arjunlal Sundardas planned to co-fund a project with Rs.40 crore apiece.
Sundardas chipped in Rs.12.85 crore but later pulled out, leaving Raja with a Rs.10.35 crore obligation that swelled to Rs.21.78 crore through interest.
Declared insolvent in 2014, Sundardas’s estate fell under court oversight.
The official assignee pursued recovery, securing a 2019 order for repayment plus 18 percent annual interest from 2013.
Yet, full settlement has dragged on for years.
Courtroom Showdown Unfolds
In recent hearings before Justices S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan, the assignee pressed for asset attachment, citing seven missed chances for Raja to clear the slate. Raja’s team countered with a fresh offer: Rs.3.75 crore upfront and property papers for the rest.
The bench turned it down flat, calling out a pattern of delays and half-measures.
They slammed the clock as misused and locked in the stay, barring theaters, OTT, or any outlet until the full sum lands.
Echoes from Past Productions
This isn’t Raja’s first brush with such hurdles. Last year, Suriya’s Kanguva hit a similar wall over the same debt, only greenlit after a Rs 6.14 crore deposit.
Fans of Vaa Vaathiyaar, buzzing over Karthi’s cop role and Krithi Shetty’s pairing, now wait in the wings.
Glimpse of What’s at Stake
Teasers paint a lively tale of a quirky officer tackling village chaos, scored by Santhosh Narayanan.
The Telugu cut, Annagaru Vastaru, amps up the bilingual buzz. With promotional hype peaking, the holdup stings, but whispers of a revised date linger if debts dissolve.