Dhallywood actor-businessman Ananta Jalil has sent a legal notice to his film "Din: The Day" director - Iranian filmmaker Morteza Atashzamzam - following a suave exchange of verbal blows between them surrounding the real budget of the movie.
The notice from Ahammad Jonaed and Partners, on behalf of Ananta, was sent to Morteza on September 4, the actor-producer wrote on social media Saturday night.
Earlier, Morteza had threatened to sue Ananta for inflating the budget of the movie saying it was worth Tk100 crore.
In August, the Iranian filmmaker accused Ananta of breaching the conditions of the movie's agreement through a post on his Instagram.
Later, through another Instagram post, he revealed that the budget of Din: The Day was $500,000, which amounts to about Tk4 crore. However, Ananta brushed it aside.
Recently, Din: The Day was released in Malaysia in September and Ananta announced that the film would be released in Singapore in January next year.
After that, Morteza took to Instagram on Saturday writing: "Mr Ananta, you have released the film in Malaysia after Bangladesh without my permission as the producer and director of the film. And now you have announced plans to release it in Singapore."
"Fortunately, soon your fraud will be exposed in the court of Iran, and then I will collect my dues from you through the honourable court of Bangladesh."
The director also shared photos from the official signing ceremony between Ananta and him and wrote: "During your second visit to Tehran, the agreement for the film between you and me was written and signed in front of the national flags of the two countries. According to Iranian policy, the agreement was written in the mother languages of both parties (Bangla and Persian)."
In response, Ananta wrote on his Facebook: "Backed by miscreants and anti-national groups in Bangladesh, Iranian director Morteza Atashzamzam of Din: The Day recently presented incorrect and fabricated information regarding the making of our film, which was published in some of our media."
"For these reasons and also for defaming me, I sent a notice to him on September 4. He has not yet responded to me personally."
"Morteza will have to answer to the International Court of Justice for these lies, and the Bangladeshi miscreants involved in it will not be spared."
