The Madras High Court on Wednesday restrained a film distributor and his associates from making false and defamatory remarks against director/producer Mani Ratnam and wife Suhasini with an intention to tarnish their reputation.
Granting the relief, Justice R Sudhakar also restrained film distributor Mannan of Saligramam and his supporters from trespassing into Ratnam’s residence and office. The judge was passing interim orders on an application arising out of a civil suit from the couple. The suit prayed for a direction to Mannan to pay `5 crore towards damages.
The couple’s counsel, Abudukumar Rajarathinam, submitted that Madras Talkies, in which Ratnam and Suhasini were partners, produced Tamil film Kadal, directed by Ratnam.
As per an agreement entered into with Gemini Industries and Imaging Limited on March 9, 2012, Madras Talkies relinquished all rights, title and interest for the distribution of the film and Gemini Industries and Images acquired all rights of distribution. However, few unidentified persons, claiming to be distributors, had been spreading canards about the quality of the film, he contended.
Mannan, one of the distributors for the film, and his men were issuing false statements defaming the couple. Without any basis and with malafide intention to extort money from his clients, Mannan and some miscreants trespassed into Ratnam’s office and abused the staff, Rajarathinam had contended.