Madras High Court issues arrest warrant against producer of Arvind Swami starrer ‘Bhaskar oru rascal’

Madras High Court issues arrest warrant against 'Bhaskar Oru Rascal' producer for unpaid dues and loan default.

The Madras High Court has issued an arrest warrant against the producer of the Tamil film ‘Bhaskar Oru Rascal’ (2018) starring Arvind Swami for not having paid the remuneration dues and also not repaying a loan of ₹35 lakh which the producer had availed from the actor for releasing the movie.

Justice P. Velmurugan issued the warrant after taking note of the inordinate delay on the part of producer K. Murugan Kumar to disclose his assets despite specific orders passed by the court on an application filed by the actor in 2020 along with a petition to execute a civil decree that he had obtained in 2019.

When the producer’s counsel stated that his client had filed the disclosure statement but he hardly had any assets, the judge said, in such a situation, the defendant may have to get himself declared an insolvent to avoid arrest. Further hearing on the disclosure of assets application was adjourned to July 8.

Mr. Swami’s counsel Roshan Balasubramanian brought it to the notice of the court that his client had entered into an agreement with the producer on April 7, 2017 for acting in the movie and his remuneration was fixed at ₹3 crore to be paid in different tranches during the course of the making of the film.

As per the agreement, the producer should deduct tax at source (TDS) for the remuneration and remit it directly to the Income Tax department. Though the movie was completed and released on May 17, 2018, the producer had not paid the actor’s remuneration in full and there was a due of ₹30 lakh.

Further, the TDS amount of ₹27 lakh too had not been remitted with the I-T department. To top it all, the producer obtained a loan of ₹35 lakh for getting the movie released and that amount too was not repaid forcing the actor to file a civil suit in 2018 for recovery of the dues with interest.

Justice Krishnan Ramasamy decreed the suit in 2019 directing the producer to pay ₹65 lakh to the actor along with 18% interest and also to remit the TDS of ₹27 lakh with the I-T department. It was pursuant to this decree, the actor had filed an execution petition and the application for disclosure of assets.