CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Thursday stayed the release of multi-crore film ‘I’, dealing a big blow to Tamil film industry which is still to recover from the commercial failure of Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Lingaa’.
‘I’, featuring Vikram and Amy Jackson and directed by Shankar, was scheduled for release on the Pongal day, January 15.
Justice R Mahadevan granted the interim injunction, restraining Aascar Films Private Limited, its directors V Ravichandran and D Ramesh Babu, besides Reliance Mediaworks Ltd, from releasing the film till January 30.
The producers, distributors, film laboratories and digital projection services are “hereby restrained by an order of interim injunction till January 30, 2015 from releasing the movie in theatres all over the country, and in any country outside India. In the meanwhile, applicant (Picutrehouse) is directed to initiate arbitration proceedings,” the judge said. The judge was passing orders on an application filed by Picturehouse Media Limited, Chetpet, claiming non-performance of commercial and financial agreements between it and Aascar Films. It wanted the matter to be settled by arbitration.
While restraining all concerned from releasing the film in any format till January 30, Justice Mahadevan asked the litigating parties to settle the issue by arbitration in the meanwhile.
He issued notices to the producers and directed them to file their response by then.
