Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2 Blocked by Court Order

December 5, 2025: The highly anticipated worldwide release of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s sequel, Akhanda 2, has been abruptly postponed, sending shockwaves through the film industry and leaving millions of fans disappointed. Just hours before the first scheduled premieres on December 5, the film was indefinitely delayed, confirmed by the makers, citing “unavoidable circumstances.”

The true reason behind the sudden halt is a significant legal roadblock: an injunction issued by the Madras High Court over a decade-old financial dispute involving the film’s producers.

The Decisive Court Order

The legal drama intensified when the Madras High Court passed an order restraining the release, distribution, and commercial exploitation of Akhanda 2 across all platforms—theatrical, digital, and satellite. This sweeping injunction resulted from an appeal filed by Eros International Media Limited against the film’s production house.

At the heart of the matter is a long-standing financial obligation. Eros International holds a final arbitral award of approximately ₹28 crore against 14 Reels Entertainment Private Limited, a sister concern of 14 Reels Plus LLP, which produced Akhanda 2. This debt reportedly stems from agreements related to the production house’s previous major films, including Dookudu and 1: Nenokkadine.

Eros argued before the court that by releasing Akhanda 2 under the banner of 14 Reels Plus LLP, the promoters were attempting to use the new entity as an “alter ego” to circumvent the financial liability tied to the old company. Allowing the release, they contended, would undermine their efforts to recover the legally determined dues.

The Division Bench of the High Court accepted these arguments, setting aside a previous ruling and freezing the film’s release. The court made it unequivocally clear: Akhanda 2 cannot be exhibited or commercially exploited until the full arbitral award amount, including accrued interest, is paid to Eros International.

A Painful Blow to Fans and the Box Office

The last-minute postponement caused immediate chaos. Advance bookings, which were robust given the massive success of the first Akhanda film (2021), were halted or cancelled, particularly creating confusion in key territories like the Nizam region. Overseas premieres, which rely on secure Key Delivery Messages (KDMs) for digital projection, were also pulled back.

The production house, 14 Reels Plus, issued a statement expressing its regret, saying the situation was a “painful moment” and apologizing to the eager audience. They assured fans that they are working “tirelessly” to resolve the matter and secure a new release date swiftly.

Path to Resolution

In a glimmer of hope for fans and trade analysts, the latest updates suggest a compromise may have been reached between the two parties. Reports indicate that the production banner has agreed to a substantial settlement with Eros International, potentially involving the payment of a large portion of the pending dues to secure the immediate lifting of the injunction.

If this settlement is formalized and presented to the High Court, the stay order could be vacated, potentially allowing the film to be released as early as the next day.

The fate of the action-drama, which pairs Balakrishna with director Boyapati Sreenu for a highly-anticipated hat-trick, now rests entirely in the hands of the courts and the settlement process. The entire episode highlights a recurring issue in the film industry where decade-old financial burdens unexpectedly resurface to halt the biggest new releases. Fans are now anxiously awaiting a final confirmation that the roar of Akhanda 2 will finally be heard on the big screen.