STR's dispute with production house settled, Madras HC directs to return deposit paid by actor

CHENNAI: As actor TR Silambarasan and production house Vels Film International Limited settled a financial dispute before a court-appointed mediator, the Madras High Court has directed its registry to return the security amount that the actor had deposited with it, along with interest accrued.

Justice PB Balaji was hearing an application moved by Silambarasan, seeking to direct the registrar general of the high court to handover the deposit amount in compliance with the court's directive.

Advocate Vijayan Subramanian, on behalf of the actor, submitted that since the dispute between his client and the production house has been settled amicably before retired Justice K Kannan, who was appointed as mediator by the court, and both parties subsequently withdrew their case, he sought to return the money deposited with interest.

Vels Film International had moved the high court, seeking to restrain Silambarasan from acting in other films without completing their film 'Corona Kumar', as promised by him. The production house claimed that in 2021, they paid the actor Rs 4.5 crore in advance, out of his total fee of Rs 9.5 crore, for acting in 'Corona Kumar'. However, without completing the film project, Silambarasan started working in other films, claimed the production house.

The single judge who had then heard the matter directed Silambarasan to deposit Rs 1 crore as security, which he complied on November 10.