In a shocking turn of events, the Bombay High Court has halted the release of the upcoming Hindi feature film Tu Hai Meri Kiran, starring Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal. According to reports, the court has kept the film’s release on hold until lead producer Echelon Productions deposits ₹8.85 crore, along with a 15 percent annual interest security.
On October 19, 2026, a single-judge bench of Justice Amit Borkar passed the interim order under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The ruling came in response to a commercial protection plea moved by co-producer AND Movie Products LLP.
Co-producer AND Movie Products moved the court, alleging it invested ₹8.85 crore under a March 2024 co-production agreement. It claimed that Echelon Productions failed to return the investment after the agreed timeline expired and eventually dishonored a structural security cheque.
Rejecting the contention, the Court highlighted that social media promotion cannot be construed as a waiver for financial claims or exploitation rights: “There is a difference between agreeing to promote the announcement of a film and agreeing to give up the contractual right to get back the investment. In the same way, accepting an Instagram collaboration post is not the same thing as giving prior consent to the terms of a commercial exploitation agreement. Both acts are different, and their effect may be different.”
The Court further added, “The conduct of the parties may help the court in understanding their agreement. But unless there is sufficient material to show that they intended to change the agreement, such conduct cannot be used to remove an obligation which has been written in it.”
As a result, the Court has directed Echelon Productions to deposit 8.85 crore in three working days ahead of the film’s release. The Court also ordered the production house to disclose all third-party exploitation agreements and restore the agreed producer credit within 48 hours.
