In what has come as some relief for Vishal and his highly anticipated movie Chakra, the Madras High Court has lifted the stay on its OTT release. It has refused to extend the stay on the release of the movie on an OTT platform. We had earlier informed our readers that after a complaint by production house Trident Arts, the Madras High Court had granted a stay on Chakra’s digital release until 30th September. That means producer Vishal could not enter into talks with any OTT platform for the direct to digital release of the movie, at least till 30th September.
The High Court stay would have gotten over today, it being the 30th. But Trident Arts again approached the HC, requesting the honorable court to extend the stay on Chakra‘s OTT sale and release. However, Vishal argued that Trident Arts had a hidden motive behind requesting stays on Chakra. His counsel argued that by requesting the extending of the stay, Trident Arts wanted to hamper the financial prospects of Chakra.
The upcoming festive period would be the ideal time to help Vishal sell the movie to an OTT platform for a good price. Any delay in sale, and it would make it impossible to get a good price for the movie at a later date. The High Court took cognizance of this fact, and refused to extend the stay on Vishal negotiating with OTT platforms for a direct to digital release of Chakra. The Madras High Court lifted the stay through an interim order. This means that Vishal is free to go ahead with his talks with OTT platforms for Chakra’s OTT release.
The next hearing of the Chakra case has been scheduled for Monday, 4th October.
Readers may recall that Trident Arts and Vishal are locked in a tussle over Vishal’s last movie with the production house, the average earning ‘Action’. Vishal had apparently promised to reimburse the losses incurred on the movie, to the tune of 8.2 crores, by doing another film with Trident, to be directed by Anandhan.
When talks for Chakra’s OTT release began, Trident Arts says they were shocked to realise that it was the same project that Vishal had promised to do with them. They allege that the actor went back on his words and made the movie under his own banner, effectively keeping out Trident Arts.
The production house thus obtained a stay on Chakra’s OTT release, and had demanded their payment of 8.2 crores from Vishal.
Vishal hopes to release Chakra on a top OTT platform during the Diwali festival, just like Coolie No 1 and Laxmmi Bomb, the other two big Diwali releases on OTT. The High Court’s lifting of the stay on its release may well make his hopes come true!
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