A court in Mumbai has directed Shenpenn Khymsar, a Darjeeling-based filmmaker, to repay more than Rs 3 crore that he had allegedly borrowed from a person in Portugal for making a film.
Mr Khymsar had made a bilingual (Hindi and Nepali) film Broken Wings based on a tragic love story set in the backdrop of Gorkhaland agitation during 1986.
“He had borrowed a sum of CAD 5,00,000 (Canadian Dollars) or around Rs 3.31 crore from Frank Teleghani, a businessman in Portugal, in three installments as loan to make the film. He had promised Teleghani that he would repay the money once the film is released,” said Kshitij Pal, an advocate in Mumbai, who represented Teleghani in the case.
He had taken the money in 2019 and 2020 for the full-fledged film, Mr Pal said.
The film had Vinay Pathak of Bheja Fry fame in the cast and others like Mrinal Singh, Sunakshi Grover and Neetu Pandey.
“The filmmaker didn’t pay the money to Frank Teleghani, nor did appraise the latter of the earnings made from the film, prompting the financier to move the city civil and sessions court in Greater Bombay,” according to Mr Pal.
The court heard the case during the end of August and ordered Mr Khymsar to deposit in court Rs 3.31 crore that he owes Teleghani within a month. But Mr Teleghani is yet to get back the money, Mr Pal said.