In a case that ensued after the immediate commercial success of the Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, actor and the producer of the film, Soubin Shahir has been summoned by Maradu police in the latest developments linked to a financial fraud case.
Last month, Shahir and the producers, his father Babu Shahir and Parava Films’ Shaun Antony approached the Kerala High Court in an attempt to squash the case, HC judge Justice V. G. Arun denied that request and permitted the investigations to proceed. Now, Maradu police have sent a notice to the actor, asking to appear for questioning within 14 days.
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Shahir and production house Parava Films, which bankrolled Manjummel Boys, have been mired in controversy after Siraj Valiyaveettil, a native of Alappuzha’s Aroor, levelled serious charges against the makers of the movie.
Valiyaveettil claims to have invested Rs 7 crore in the film under the assumption that the total budget amounted to Rs 22 crore. However, it was later revealed to him that the true budget was only Rs 18.65 crore. He further alleged that he was kept in the dark about the film shoot schedule and that the profits—of which he was promised 40 per cent—were not dispersed to him. According to reports, Valiyaveettil estimates his total losses at around Rs 47 crore.
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The producers and production houses defended themselves, citing that the lack of on-time payment of the promised Rs 7 crore from Valiyaveettil had disrupted the shooting schedule and significantly delayed production.