June 18, 2026 at 10:13 AM 2 min readentertainmentbreaking
Vikram Bhatt Faces Legal Notice Over Haunted Echoes Of The Past Dues
Legal Notice Served:
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has been issued a legal notice by Lakshmi Ganpathy Films, demanding the payment of ₹19 lakhs regarding the production of the horror film Haunted – Echoes Of The Past. The notice, served on June 3, 2026, claims that the amount is an outstanding balance from earlier mutual accounts and agreements, with the producer threatening an injunction on the film's release if the debt remains unpaid within ten days.
Financial Disputations:
The conflict traces back to a July 2023 agreement for a project initially titled Haunted Winter. Lakshmi Ganpathy Films alleges that they invested ₹94 lakhs into the production, and subsequent agreements regarding profit sharing and co-production with Anand Pandit Motion Pictures LLP failed to resolve the dues. The current notice demands the immediate clearance of ₹19 lakhs, referencing previous adjustments made regarding the film 1920.
Wider Industry Context:
In a separate development, Vikram Bhatt has publicly defended actress Alia Bhatt against intense social media trolling regarding the upcoming film Alpha. He highlighted the potential for inorganic, paid social media campaigns to manipulate public perception. These dual issues—legal financial disputes and the challenge of digital reputation management—underscore the complexities currently facing high-profile Bollywood filmmakers in an increasingly transparent and volatile market environment.
Pulse Intelligence
AI AnalysisContext & Background
- Vikram Bhatt is a veteran director known for the long-running Haunted series in Hindi cinema.
- The film industry has seen increased litigation over production budgets and profit-sharing agreements in recent years.
- Digital reputation and the prevalence of paid trolling campaigns have become significant concerns for Bollywood producers managing big-budget projects.
Key Consequences
- An immediate legal injunction could delay the scheduled theatrical release of Haunted – Echoes Of The Past.
- The financial dispute may lead to a public courtroom battle between the filmmaker and Lakshmi Ganpathy Films.
- The discourse around paid trolling might lead to greater industry scrutiny of social media marketing practices for upcoming releases.
Market & Economic Impact
Potential negative impact on production budget liquidity for upcoming projects.

