Bihar based distributor Gauri Shankar Agarwal had moved court claiming to have distribution rights over the film

By Mayur Lookhar

Nawazuddin SiddiquI-starrer Motichoor Chaknachoor will not be releasing on its scheduled date – 15 November, 2019. This after a Bihar court stayed the release of the Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Woodpecker Movies film.  Bihar based distributor Gauri Shankar Agarwal had moved court seeking a stay on the film’s release claiming distribution rights for the local territory.

A reliable source closely associated with the matter informs, “A Civil Court in Saran district [Bihar] stayed the release of Motichoor Chaknachoor.  Gauri Shankar Agarwal, one local distributor had claimed distribution rights for the Bihar and Jharkhand region. Agarwal had produced the relevant documents in court to support his claim.”

Woodpecker Movies had later roped in Viacom18 Motion Picture as producer, distributor.  Granting a stay order on the release of the film, the Saran Civil Court has ordered the producers, director Debamitra Biswal and Viacom18 to be present during the next hearing that will take place on 25 November

We sent a text to Viacom18 Motion Picture COO Ajit Andhare but it didn’t yield any response. Efforts to reach out to Debamitra Biswal went in vain. We were unable to reach out to producers Kiren and Rajesh Bhatia.

This is not the only trouble that the film finds itself in. The film has also courted controversy over alleged non-payment of dues. As per a source, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Athiya Shetty are among those who haven’t been paid their full dues. Cine and TV Artists’ Association is said to be looking into this matter.

Early this year, producer Rajesh Bhatia had lashed out at Athiya’s father Suniel for allegedly interfering in the film.