April 1,2018
After terminating a contract with production company KriArj Entertainment in
the interest of "Parmanu - The Story Of Pokhran", John Abraham Entertainment on
Monday announced the film will soon get a new release date.
"Parmanu..."
was scheduled to release on December 8 last year. Its release date got pushed to
February 23, 2018 and then to April 6.
But clearly, the film, based on
the nuclear tests conducted at Pokhran in 1998, won't hit the screens on Friday
as all's not well between the co-producers.
A statement issued by John
Abraham Entertainment to IANS read: "In the best interest of the film, we have
terminated our contract with KriArj Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and will soon
announce the release schedule."
Termination of the agreement by actor
John Abraham's company "is valid and legal".
"KriArj has committed
material breaches which left us with no choice but to terminate in the interest
of the film. We would like to state that this extreme step has been taken by us
after days of trying to resolve the issues at hand in the best interest of the
release of the film.
"We have fulfilled our commitment at every stage of
this project and intimated KriArj in writing from time to time.
"We have
been waiting and asking for payments at every stage."
But their payments
have either "been delayed or we have received wrong UTR (unique taxpayer
reference) number. Cheque payments have been stopped time and again".
Delay in payments/non-payments have caused "delays in the post-production work
after the film's principal shoot was completed on time and on schedule last
year".
John Abraham Entertainment further lashed out at KriArj, saying
"despite repeated follow-up, the distribution plan for the film has not been
shared and there has been no transparency in their dealings with third parties".
"We have till date not been privy to any signed contracts of third parties
with KriArj, if any."
John Abraham Entertainment has time and again sat
on the marketing campaign and the dates have been pushed at least three times,
thanks to "delayed payments".
KriArj "without our approval has gone out
and made statements giving false reasons for the delay".
Any future
attempts by KriArj to "jeopardise the film or defame the production house and/or
the film, like they have done in the past with other films, will compel us to
initiate legal proceedings against them".
The statement comes a day after
KriArj Entertainment said: "In response to the trade notice issued by John
Abraham Entertainment claiming termination of their agreement with us for the
film 'Parmanu...', please note that the said termination is illegal and
invalid."
"Our rights in the film as a joint producer/presenter and owner
of all rights are fully secured, we have always fulfilled all our commitments
till date and have clear intent to continue doing so."
"John Abraham
Entertainment has also always been aware that Zee Studios are KriArj's partners
in the film from very early stages as co-producers and also the acquirers of the
overseas theatrical, digital, satellite and music rights of the film."
They blamed John Abraham Entertainment for not fulfilling its "commitment of
completing and intimating us of the completion the film and is fraudulently
trying to delay the release of the film thereby causing huge monetary losses and
damage to our reputation".
The statement also read: "It goes without
saying that any one dealing with the film or any of its rights through John
Abraham Entertainment will be doing so at their own risk and peril and will also
have to face legal consequences."
"We have already instructed our
attorneys who will be moving the necessary authorities soon for seeking justice
against the breaches committed by John Abraham Entertainment and its promoter Mr
John Abraham."