Tamil actor Arya booked in Hyderabad cheating case over alleged ₹1.80 crore unpaid equipment rental dues

The company alleged it supplied and transported equipment to Kerala, but of the ₹2.12 crore bill, over ₹1.80 crore remains unpaid after the shoot.

Tamil actor Arya is facing legal trouble after a camera equipment rental company filed a cheating complaint against him at Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills Police Station. The company has alleged that Arya, producer Vinod and others associated with the production of Ananthan Kaadu failed to pay more than ₹1.80 crore in pending dues for camera and lighting equipment used during the film's shoot.

Cheating case filed against Tamil actor Arya.

What is the complaint about

According to the report in Gulte, the complainant claims that the makers of Ananthan Kaadu hired premium digital cameras, lighting units and other filming equipment from a Hyderabad-based rental company for the shoot. The company alleged that the production team had assured them that the payments would be cleared without any delay.

The complainant said it not only supplied the equipment but also arranged its transportation from Hyderabad to Kerala and extended technical support during the entire filming schedule. After the shoot was completed, however, a large part of the payment allegedly remained unpaid. The company claimed the total bill came to ₹2.12 crore, but only a portion of the amount was received, leaving dues of more than ₹1.80 crore.

The rental firm further alleged that the producers had admitted to the pending payment in writing and assured them that the outstanding amount would be settled before the film's theatrical release. Despite several reminders through letters, phone calls and WhatsApp messages, the company claimed that the promised payment never came through.

The complaint also alleged that when the company's manager approached the production team seeking the pending dues, Arya, producer Vinod and a personal assistant threatened him. Following the alleged incident and the continued delay in payment, the company approached the Jubilee Hills Police and filed a formal complaint.

Police begin investigation

Following the complaint, the Jubilee Hills Police registered a case under sections related to cheating and criminal intimidation. The police are now reviewing the documents submitted by the rental company and are likely to question those named in the complaint as the probe moves ahead. Arya and the makers of Ananthan Kaadu are yet to issue a statement on the allegations.

What's next for Arya?

Despite the ongoing controversy, Arya has been busy with his film projects. The actor recently unveiled the first-look poster of See U, directed by Santhosh Srivatsan and co-produced under his home banner. The film stars Kishen Das and Sanjana in the lead. He is also set to appear as Vetrivel Kumaran in the upcoming film Ananthan Kaadu.