Madras High Court rejects plea by Eros International to halt release of Akhanda 2
Court declines interim injunction, finds no grounds to restrain sequel’s release pending arbitral award enforcement
The Madras High Court has refused to grant an interim injunction sought by Eros International Media Limited to stop the release and commercial exploitation of the Telugu film Akhanda 2. Eros claimed that the film’s producers—14 Reels Entertainment and 14 Reels Plus LLP—were attempting to avoid paying over ₹27.7 crore awarded in arbitration by shifting their business to a new LLP but maintaining the same control and identity.
Justice Anand Venkatesh heard arguments that the LLP structure was a continuation of the original company designed to frustrate execution of the 2019 award, but ultimately concluded that there were insufficient grounds to prevent release or monetisation of the highly anticipated sequel. Eros had sought to lift the corporate veil and block Akhanda 2’s release until the award was secured, citing similar branding and shared promoters between the old and new entities.
The court found the request for interim restraint premature at this stage and permitted the film’s release as scheduled, declining to impose deposit requirements or other restrictions on the revenue from the film.