Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma faces a ₹29.67 crore payment demand from production house Eclatant Films Private Limited over a 2010 agreement, with the company also warning film industry stakeholders against entering into business deals involving him.
According to The Indian Express, Eclatant Films issued a legal notice on October 15 and gave Varma until October 30 to settle the dues. The amount includes the outstanding principal and ₹11.38 crore in interest. Varma has yet to comment publicly on the dispute.
The dispute centres on an agreement the filmmaker and the production house signed on 10 April, 2010. The Bombay High Court reportedly upheld the agreement on 17 April, 2013.
Eclatant Films claims the contract required Varma to obtain its written no-objection certificate (NOC) before undertaking certain film projects. These conditions reportedly covered work as a producer, director, writer or co-producer on films covered by the agreement.
The company alleges that Varma failed to comply with the terms and is now seeking ₹29.67 crore in compensation and outstanding dues.
Eclatant Films has extended its warning to producers, distributors, broadcasters and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, cautioning them against entering into business arrangements involving Varma or acquiring rights to projects associated with him.
Trade publications, including ‘Complete Cinema’, reported that the company had warned industry stakeholders against buying, streaming or otherwise exploiting films linked to the filmmaker.
The production house has also threatened to invoke a contractual lien if Varma fails to settle the dues. Such a move could allow it to pursue claims over rights, shares, financial interests and earnings from films covered by the 2010 agreement.
Despite the legal dispute, Varma continues to work on his upcoming crime drama ‘Police Company’, starring Harshvardhan Rane. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on 4 June, 2027.
Based on real events and people, the film explores the circumstances surrounding the killings of around 300 gangsters. Its ensemble cast includes Fardeen Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Paresh Rawal, Saurabh Shukla, Makarand Deshpande and Ashwini Kalsekar.
Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Varma have produced the film, which T-Series presents under the banner of Gulshan Kumar.
Varma is also working on ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’, which stars Manoj Bajpayee. The project marks the pair’s first collaboration since ‘Sarkar 3’.
