Megastar Chiranjeevi is all set to grace the silver screens once again with the upcoming highly-anticipated film 'Bholaa Shankar'. However, the film has been mired in controversies of late, first, due to director Meher Ramesh's comments on Ajith's film 'Vedalam', and now, a distributor has accused the producer of not clearing his pending dues.
One of the most sought-after distributors down south, Vizag Satish, has moved court against 'Bholaa Shankar', seeking a stay on the film's release.
He claimed that producer Anil Sunkara, who had also bankrolled the 2023 film 'Agent', is yet to pay a huge sum of money to him regarding the distribution rights of the film.
Distributor seeks stay on Bholaa Shankar release
With the release of 'Bholaa Shankar' just around the corner, distributor Vizag Satish, who owns Gayatri Films, asked the court to halt the film until his dues were cleared.
In his plea, Satish mentioned that earlier this year, he had bought the Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka distribution rights of 'Agent' for a whopping Rs 30 crore. However, ahead of the release, he was given the rights only for Vizag, which was worth just Rs 1.50 crore, and due to that, he incurred heavy losses.
Satish went on to say that the producer then gave him the Vizag rights for 'Samajavaragamana' which helped him recover some of his money, but with 'Bholaa Shankar' ready for a theatrical release, the producer is yet to clear a major chunk of his pending dues.
"I’m moving the court to stay the film’s release till my financial issue is settled," Satish stated.
On the other hand, the production house claimed in court that the distribution deal document which Satish submitted was forged.
About Bholaa Shankar
Meanwhile, 'Bholaa Shankar' is all set to hit the silver screens on August 11, 2023.
Alongside Chiranjeevi, the film also stars Keerthy Suresh, who plays the megastar's sister, and Tamannaah Bhatia, who will be seen essaying the role of his lover.
The court will hear Satish's case against 'Bholaa Shankar' makers on Wednesday.
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