Courtroom drama Mulk director Anubhav Sinha faces case over rent arrears

Three films are lined up for release on 3 August, but two of them are in some legal trouble.

While Vashu Bhagnani has dragged T-Series and KriArj Entertainment to the Supreme Court over the distribution rights of Fanney Khan, Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk faces a case in the civil court in Dindoshi, northwest Mumbai.

One person, Vandana Suresh Punwani, moved the court last week seeking a stay on the film's release until her dues are cleared.

"We have moved court against Sinha and his production house, Banaras Media Works Pvt Ltd, for unpaid dues," Suresh Punwani said. "We had rented our office premises to Sinha. The outstanding amounts to Rs55 lakh.

"He has made me suffer for the past six years. It has been a long battle fighting cases in various courts. It is really difficult to recover money from these people."

Punwani claimed that the court had issued a stay against the film's release, but the court website says the matter will be heard on 2 August.

Punwani refused to discuss details about the property, except to say Sinha no longer occupies it.

A statement issued late at night by Sinha's publicist said no order restraining the film's release has been served on Banaras Media Works and all arrangements are in place to release the film as scheduled.

"If someone has misled the court and if the court has really passed such an order, we shall move a petition to vacate the same ASAP," the director's statement said.

Mulk is a courtroom drama starring Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, and Ashutosh Rana.