The Bombay High Court has put the brakes on Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s romantic thriller Tu Hai Meri Kiran, ruling on Monday, October 19, that producer Echelon Productions cannot commercially release or exploit the film until it deposits Rs. 8.85 crore along with 15 percent annual interest as security for its co-producer’s investment. The order throws the film’s planned October 23 theatrical release into limbo.
A single bench of Justice Amit Borkar substantially allowed the petition of AND Movie Products LLP, which sought protection of its investment and contractual rights in the film. The court observed that stopping the release entirely would disregard the money, time and effort spent producing the film, but that it would not be proper to let it be commercially exploited without securing the co-producer’s stake now that the repayment deadline has expired.
The money trail
The dispute stems from a co-production agreement signed on March 27, 2024, under which both parties agreed to contribute Rs. 7.50 crore each, plus GST, toward a film budget of Rs. 15 crore plus GST. AND Movie Products stated that it invested Rs. 8.85 crore between March 2024 and January 2025 but never received repayment as agreed.
Under the agreement, Echelon was required to repay the investment within 13 months of signing or three weeks before the film’s first release, whichever came earlier. The court held that the repayment deadline expired on April 27, 2025, and that the later announcement of a release date could not extend it. The matter escalated after a Rs. 7.50 crore cheque issued by Echelon through Vishal Rana was dishonoured on January 2, 2026, prompting a legal notice days later.
What happens to the release
Directed by Karan Rawal and also starring Ankit Gupta, Sherlin Seth, Zarina Wahab and Purnendu Bhattacharya, Tu Hai Meri Kiran had been lined up for an October 23, 2026, theatrical release. Until Echelon furnishes the financial security demanded by the court, the film cannot open in cinemas. Compliance with the court’s direction is now the key next step for the makers — and the clock is ticking on a release that was barely days away.
