The Madras High Court has granted an injunction restraining the release of the upcoming film ‘Akhanda – II’, delivering a significant legal win for Eros International Media Limited.

The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice S.M. Subramaniam and Justice C. Kumarappan, following an appeal filed by Eros over a long-pending arbitral dispute with 14 Reels Entertainment Private Limited.

According to a report in The Economic Times, the dispute traces back to an arbitral award under which Eros holds a money decree of around Rs.28 crore against 14 Reels Entertainment. With the award yet to be satisfied, Eros approached the court seeking urgent interim protection, arguing that such measures were necessary to ensure meaningful enforcement of the existing decree.

Eros informed the court that 14 Reels Plus LLP described as a group entity connected to 14 Reels Entertainment was preparing to release ‘Akhanda – II’ under its banner. Eros contended that this move amounted to an indirect attempt to sidestep the arbitral award and evade compliance with legally established financial obligations. The company argued that allowing the film to release without settling the decree would undermine the enforcement process and enable the opposing party to benefit commercially despite ongoing defaults.

After hearing extensive arguments from Eros’ legal team, including Senior Counsels P.S. Raman and A.R.L. Sundaresan, along with Counsel Nithyaesh Natraj, the Division Bench agreed with the concerns raised and issued an injunction. The court’s order restrains any release, distribution, or commercial exploitation of ‘Akhanda 2’ until further directions are issued.

The decision marks a decisive step in Eros’ efforts to enforce the arbitral award and closes the door, for now, on any potential release of the film by entities linked to 14 Reels. The matter is expected to return to the court for further hearings, but until then, the fate of ‘Akhanda – II’ remains on hold.