`Action Replayy` to release tomorrow, Akshay Kumar to mediate

Mumbai: Decks were cleared for the release of film `Action Replayy` tomorrow with actor Akshay Kumar, who plays the lead role in the film, offering to act as mediator to settle the financial dispute between Eros Worldwide and producer Vipul Shah. Dubai-based Eros Worldwide had moved the Bombay High Court seeking to stall the release of the film on the ground that Shah failed to pay its dues amounting to Rs 6.56 crore.

When the matter came up for hearing today, Ravi Kadam, lawyer of Eros Worldwide and the state Advocate General, made a statement before Justice J H Bhatia saying Akshay Kumar had offered to settle the dispute between the two parties. As both sides agreed to the actor`s gesture of acting as a mediator to settle the dispute, the judge decided to hear the suit filed by Eros Worldwide after the Diwali vacations. On November 2, Justice J H Bhatia had issued a notice to Shah and asked him to reply to the suit today. The Judge had suggested both parties to settle their dispute in two days. Eros Worldwide said it had loaned Rs 6.37 crore to Shah in October last year and alongwith interest, the dues amounted to Rs 6.56 crore. It urged the judge for a direction to the film`s producer to deposit this amount in the court. In the alternative, the plaintiff prayed Shah be stopped from releasing or exhibiting the film or delivering prints thereof to any third party or creating third party rights in the title or interest in respect of the film. The plaintiff said that Shah was in a financial mess and under pressure from creditors. He was saddled with several claims from financiers, distributors and exhibitors after the release of his last film `London Dreams`. PTI