Malayalam film star Nivin Pauly presented himself before a magistrate court in Vaikom on Monday, December 1, to provide his official statement concerning a serious allegation of forgery related to the title of his upcoming sequel, 'Action Hero Biju 2'. The actor arrived at the Vaikom Judicial First Class Magistrate Court around 3:45 pm for the hearing.
Court Hearing and Evidence Submission
The proceedings were conducted behind closed doors, as per reports. During the session, Nivin Pauly submitted additional pieces of evidence to the court. This submission followed the court's earlier directive for him to provide further documentation related to the case.
The legal battle originated when Nivin Pauly filed a formal complaint. He accused PS Shamnas, the co-producer of his 2022 film 'Mahaveeryar', of forging a signature to unlawfully obtain the rights to the title 'Action Hero Biju 2' for the sequel.
Counter-Complaints and Non-Bailable Charges
The dispute escalated significantly in July when PS Shamnas launched a legal counter-offensive. He filed a complaint against both Nivin Pauly and director Abrid Shine.
Shamnas alleges that the actor and director deliberately concealed the fact that they had received a payment from him. Following this, they allegedly proceeded to transfer the distribution rights of 'Action Hero Biju 2' to a different party. Acting on this complaint, the Thalayolaparambu police registered a case against Nivin and Abrid under non-bailable sections.
The First Information Report (FIR) includes serious charges of criminal breach of trust and cheating, invoking Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code.
Root of the Conflict: Financial Fallout from 'Mahaveeryar'
According to Shamnas, the core of this conflict stems from their previous collaboration, the 2022 film 'Mahaveeryar', which reportedly performed poorly at the box office and incurred heavy losses.
He claims that Nivin Pauly had assured him a repayment of Rs 95 lakh as compensation for these losses. Furthermore, Shamnas states that the actor promised to make him a financial partner in the 'Action Hero Biju 2' project. Shamnas contends that both these assurances were violated, leading to the current legal imbroglio.
Conversely, Nivin Pauly's side maintains that the primary issue is the fraudulent acquisition of the sequel's title, which was the original reason for his legal complaint.
Nivin Pauly's Professional Front
On the work front, Nivin Pauly continues to seek a strong comeback in the industry. His recent cameo appearance as Nithin Molly in Vineeth Sreenivasan's 'Varshangalkku Shesham' was well-received by critics. The actor is now looking forward to the release of his upcoming projects, which include 'Sarvam Maya' and a Tamil film titled 'Benz'.
