Bombay High Court Puts Sonakshi Sinha–Zaheer Iqbal’s Tu Hai Meri Kiran on Hold, Orders Rs 8.85 Crore Deposit Before October 23 Release
Four days before its scheduled October 23 theatrical release, Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s Tu Hai Meri Kiran has run into a courtroom wall. The Bombay High Court ruled on Monday, October 19, that Echelon Productions cannot commercially release or exploit the film unless it deposits Rs 8.85 crore along with 15% annual interest to secure the investment made by co-producer AND Movie Products LLP, as per a Live Law Biz report carried by Bollywood Hungama.
Justice Amit Borkar substantially allowed AND Movie Products’ petition. The court said blocking the release entirely would disregard the money and effort invested in the production — but the film cannot be commercially exploited without securing the co-producer’s investment.
The dispute stems from a March 27, 2024 co-production agreement: both sides would contribute Rs 7.50 crore each, plus GST, toward a Rs 15-crore budget. AND Movie Products says it invested Rs 8.85 crore between March 2024 and January 2025 without repayment. Repayment was due within 13 months or three weeks before the film’s first release, whichever earlier — a deadline the court held expired on April 27, 2025.
The dispute escalated after a Rs 7.50-crore cheque issued by Echelon through Vishal Rana was dishonoured in January 2026, and AND approached the court once the October release was announced. Echelon argued repayment depended on the film’s earnings and cited AND’s participation in Instagram promotions — but the court held that did not waive repayment or the need for the co-producer’s consent before third-party exploitation deals.
The court ordered Echelon to deposit Rs 8.85 crore plus 15% annual interest within three working days, failing which the film cannot be commercially exploited. Echelon must also disclose its exploitation agreements, keep film revenues in a separate designated account, take AND’s consent before third-party deals, and fix non-compliant publicity credits. The money stays as court-held security. The court declined to make Vishal Rana deposit personally at this stage — final liability goes to arbitration — and refused Echelon’s plea to stay the judgment.
The film itself is a supernatural romantic thriller directed by Karan Rawal, starring real-life couple Sonakshi Sinha as Kiran and Zaheer Iqbal as Samar — a story of a connection that curdles into obsession — with Ankit Gupta, Sherlin Seth and Zarina Wahab in support. Its trailer released on October 6 via Saregama Music.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
