Producers file complaint against Kamal

Producers Lingusamy and Subash Chandra Bose of Thirrupathi Brothers have filed a complaint with the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) against renowned actor Kamal Haasan, alleging breach of contract regarding the 2015 film Uttama Villain.

The producers alleged that the film’s failure led to significant financial losses for Thirrupathi Brothers. They claimed that Kamal Haasan, who also wrote and produced it on first copy basis, had promised to compensate them by starring in another film for their production house with a budget of `30 crore. However, even nine years later, the promised film had not materialised.

In a recent statement, Lingusamy attributed the commercial failure of Uttama Villain to multiple script changes made by Kamal. He added that the agreement on Kamal Haasan starring in another film for Thirrupathi Brothers was reached through arbitration involving prominent members of various film industry organisations including TFPC, Nadigar Sangam, Directors Association, FEFSI and Distributors Federation in 2015.

Murali Ramaswamy, the current TFPC president, confirmed to DC that the council had received the complaint and was actively seeking a resolution. “We have initiated discussions with our Executive Committee members and believe it would be appropriate for the same individuals who mediated the issue in 2015 to arbitrate once again,” Murali said. “We are confident that the matter will be resolved amicably soon,” he added.

However, some industry insiders have expressed concern about the feasibility of the original agreement, given the changes in Haasan’s career trajectory and the current economic landscape of the film industry. “With Kamal Haasan’s political career taking a backseat and his return to the big screen with the blockbuster Vikram, his salary expectations and production costs have significantly increased,” noted a prominent producer who did not want to be identified. “Whether the previously agreed upon budget of `30 crore is still viable remains to be seen,” he said.

“We have initiated discussions with our Executive Committee members and believe it would be appropriate for the same individuals who mediated the issue in 2015 to arbitrate once again,” says Ramaswamy