Madras High Court orders seizure of Sivaji Ganesan's house over unpaid film loan

The Madras High Court has ordered the seizure of a portion of legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan’s Chennai residence due to an unpaid loan taken for the production of the Tamil film Jagajaala Killadi. The case involves Eesan Productions, a company managed by Ganesan’s grandson Dusshyanth and his wife, Abirami, who had borrowed Rs 3.74 crore but failed to repay the amount.

The loan, taken from a private enterprise, was to be repaid with 30 percent annual interest. Due to non-payment, retired High Court Justice T. Ravindran was appointed as a mediator. On May 4, 2024, Justice Ravindran ruled that all rights to Jagajaala Killadi be handed over to the private enterprise’s managing director for sale to recover the debt, which had escalated to Rs 9.2 crore with interest. Any excess proceeds were to be returned to Eesan Productions.

Eesan Productions contested the order, claiming the film was incomplete, and refused to transfer its rights. Consequently, the private enterprise approached the court, seeking an order to seize a portion of Sivaji Ganesan’s house for auction, as Dusshyanth’s father, Ramkumar, had signed a related agreement.

With the outstanding amount now reaching Rs 9.39 crore, Justice Abdul Quddhose ruled in favor of the seizure, citing Eesan Productions’ failure to file a counter-petition. The court also directed the sub-registrar to be informed of the order. The case has been adjourned to March 5 for further proceedings.