The legal troubles surrounding Vikram Bhatt’s upcoming horror film Haunted – Echoes Of The Past continue to mount. Around 10 days before the film‘s scheduled release, the filmmaker was served with a legal notice by Lakshmi Ganpathy Films, demanding payment of Rs. 19 lakhs, failing which the producer threatened to initiate legal proceedings and seek an injunction on the film‘s release.

Vikram Bhatt receives legal notice over Haunted – Echoes Of The Past; asked to pay Rs. 19 lakhs or face legal action

The legal notice, dated June 3, 2026, has been issued by Advocate Nagesh Mishra of Media Legal on behalf of M Ramesh, proprietor of Lakshmi Ganpathy Films. It claims that the dispute dates back to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on July 3, 2023, for the production of the film, then titled Haunted Winter.

According to the notice, Lakshmi Ganpathy Films had initially agreed to finance the film with the understanding that both parties would equally share the profits. The notice further alleges that the company invested Rs. 94 lakhs in the project. It claims that subsequent agreements revised the production budget and later brought Anand Pandit Motion Pictures LLP on board as a co-producer through a tripartite agreement.

The notice further states that although the parties later executed cancellation agreements under which Lakshmi Ganpathy Films withdrew its rights in the project, Vikram Bhatt had allegedly committed to pay Rs. 50 lakhs towards profit, apart from refunding the investment made by the company.

It also refers to financial transactions concerning Vikram Bhatt’s earlier film, 1920. As per the notice, after adjustment of mutual accounts and a payment made by Vikram Bhatt in February 2024, a balance amount of Rs. 19 lakhs still remain unpaid. The notice alleges that there was a mutual understanding that the film would not be released until this outstanding amount was cleared.

Accordingly, the notice calls upon Vikram Bhatt to pay Rs. 19 lakhs, along with applicable interest, within 10 days of receiving the notice. It warns that if the payment is not made, Lakshmi Ganpathy Films will initiate recovery proceedings before the appropriate court and may also seek an injunction restraining the release of Haunted – Echoes Of The Past until its alleged dues are paid.

Also Read: REVEALED: Haunted – Echoes Of The Past got NCLT nod for June 12 release; makers directed to deposit all revenues in separate bank account