‘Indian 2’: Madras HC denies Lyca Productions' appeal against director Shankar

The shoot of actor Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 has been hindered and delayed due to a slew of hurdles. The delay caused a scuffle between director Shankar and Lyca Productions, the production banner that is bankrolling the film. Both the parties had filed a petition in the Madras High Court. In a latest development, the court denied the production company’s appeal in connection to the case on Wednesday. According to a Times of India report, Lyca Productions appealed for a stay to prevent director Shankar from working on other projects before completing Indian 2. Madras HC, after hearing the appeal on Wednesday, adjourned the case to a later date and posted the matter for further hearing after the summer vacation. The report also added that the court has asked director Shankar to file his statement.  

PTI stated in its report that senior counsel for director S Shankar alleged on Wednesday that Lyca Productions has moved a court in Hyderabad too, on the same issue, that is pending before the Madras High Court. The submission was reportedly made by the director’s counsel after the production house presented their appeal before the bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy. 

However, a senior counsel for Lyca Productions denied the aforementioned allegation, stating that the issue raised before a lower court in Hyderabad is a different one and is not related to the litigation pending before the Madras HC.  

Initially, Lyca Productions submitted a petition with Madras High Court  on April 1, requesting a ban on director Shankar from working on other projects before completing this one, citing a delay. After the interim injunction was refused by the court, the case was once again heard on April 22. The bench had directed both the parties to settle the issue amicably. However, Shankar’s senior counsel told the judges that they couldn’t come up with a solution and the talks were unsuccessful. The Madras HC in its order issued on Wednesday, has granted time to the single judge, who had first heard Lyca’s application to injunct Shankar from taking up other projects, to pass his orders.  

Kamal Haasan will be playing the lead role in Indian 2 co-starring actors Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and several others. Anirudh Ravichander is on board as the music composer. It is the sequel of director Shankar’s hit 1996 film Indian.