Sudha Kongara Moves Madras High Court Over Parasakthi Dues; Seeks Stay On Idhayam Murali Release

Parasakthi Unpaid Remuneration Case: Filmmaker Sudha Kongara has approached the Madras High Court alleging that a significant portion of her remuneration for the Tamil film Parasakthi remains unpaid. As part of the legal proceedings, she has also sought a stay on the release of Idhayam Murali, another film backed by the same production house.

According to Bar and Bench, Kongara has filed a petition under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, claiming that ₹8.39 crore is still due to her under the agreement executed for Parasakthi. The matter came up before Justice Kumaresh Babu on June 30.

During the hearing, the court directed that there should be no satellite release of Parasakthi until July 8. It also asked the respondent to submit its counter by July 7 regarding Kongara's request to restrain the theatrical release of Idhayam Murali, which is currently scheduled to hit cinemas on July 10. The case is expected to be taken up again on July 8.

As per the submissions made before the court, Kongara's agreement for directing Parasakthi reportedly fixed her remuneration at ₹15 crore, with Goods and Services Tax payable separately, taking the total amount to ₹17.70 crore. It was argued that while ₹9.31 crore has already been paid, the remaining ₹8.39 crore is yet to be settled despite the film's theatrical release and invoices having been raised.

The plea further states that Kongara had transferred the intellectual property rights related to Parasakthi as part of the agreement. However, she contends that the agreed payment has not been fully released. Her counsel also argued before the court that the production house is proceeding with the release of Idhayam Murali while the alleged dues remain unpaid.

During the proceedings, it was also clarified that Parasakthi has already completed its OTT release. The interim request before the court is therefore limited to its satellite television release.

Parasakthi, Idhayam Murali, and the Ongoing Legal Dispute

Released during the Pongal festival on January 10, 2026, Parasakthi is a Tamil political action drama directed by Sudha Kongara and produced by Aakash Baskaran under the banner of Dawn Pictures. Set primarily in 1964, the film follows two brothers who participate in protests against the promotion of Hindi as India's national language, as they face threats from a powerful Intelligence Bureau officer. The cast includes Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, and Sreeleela. The film features music by G. V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran, and editing by Sathish Suriya.

Meanwhile, Idhayam Murali, which is at the centre of the latest legal proceedings, is written and directed by Aakash Baskaran. The film stars Atharvaa Murali, Fahadh Faasil, Preity Mukhundhan, Kayadu Lohar, Natarajan Subramaniam, S. Thaman, and Niharika NM, and is currently slated for a theatrical release on July 10, 2026.

The matter is scheduled to be heard again on July 8, when the High Court is expected to consider Kongara's plea over the alleged unpaid remuneration and her request to restrain the release of Idhayam Murali.