Ameer's money matters

By: Settu Shankar
Monday, May 28, 2007
In Arabic, the word 'Ameer' denotes the richest man or in other words the 'king of wealth' but a director with the name Ameer is facing just the opposite. Yes, director Ameer, who moulded actors like Surya, Jeeva and Karthi, the latest heartthrob of Kollywood, is currently going through financial crunch.

Though the film Paruthi Veeran is running successfully in all the theaters and completing 100 days of screening by the end of this month, the maker of the film Ameer is still in the dark. When the director started the film with veteran actor Sivakumar's younger son Karthi as the hero, Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green came forward to produce it. It's said that the film is Sivakumar's own production since Gnanavel Raja is a very close relative of Sivakumar.

When the director completed 50 percent of the shooting, producer Gnanavel Raaja decided to withdraw from the film. He criticized that the budget had gone out of the limit and it was not wise to continue the production. Finally Ameer decided to take over the film and completed the remaining portion with nearly Rs.1.5 crores. It is said that the director had borrowed the money from financiers at a high interest. After the completion of the film, Ameer faced another acid test in the form of its release. He needed more money to release on his own. At that time, Gnanavel Raja again entered the scene and he wanted to release it on his own.

Gnanavel Raja agreed to pay Rs.1.5 crores to Ameer as reimbursement for the production cost. But after the release, Ameer alleged that Gnanavel Raja has not paid his dues. He moved further and filed a complaint with the Producer's Council and requested them to order the producer to clear all his dues. But there was no response from the council. He has once again emphasized his grievance to the council and urged them to solve the problem as early as possible.

When our correspondent asked about the developments regarding this issue, the Producers' Council functionaries replied that they have verified the collection details of the film with the help of an auditor. The process will be completed today and the issue is expected to be settled amicably tonight.

"I hope the issue is settled today. I don't like to comment on this issue now. I'm not asking my payment. It is the part of the production cost and till now I'm paying the interest. I hope the council convinces the producer to clear the dues with interest," said Ameer.

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