ISLAMABAD: A controversy over the distribution of proceeds of film `Waar` has brought its makers into a legal battle with the producer struggling to get ball to avoid arrest in the case initiated against him by the director of the movie.

Released on October 16 last year, `Waar` earned the profit which according toits directorBilalLashari was beyond the expectations of the producer, Hassan Waqas Rana.

The movie was produced with a budget of Rs170 million. After initial release, it earned Rs230 million in the box office.

According to the movie director Lashari, as per agreement he was supposed to get 25 per cent of the total revenue whereas 75 per cent income was to go to the account of the producer.

Under the agreement, both Lashari and Rana opened a joint account in a bank at Sector F-7 and started getting the agreed percentage from the account.

The problem started after producer Waqas Rana allegedly opened a personal account in the same bank and stopped the distributor from depositing the proceeds of the movie in the joint account and asked him to deposit it in his personalaccount.

Terming it a breach of the agreement, Lashari filed a complaint with the Kohsar police.

He claimed that under the agreement he was supposed to get over Rs30 million but could earn Rs13 million.

The police on June 21 registered a case against Rana under section 406 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Under the said section, whoever commits a criminal breach of trust shall be punished with imprisonment or with fine, or both.

Initially, Mr Rana filed pre-arrest bail with the sessions court but after its rejection he approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Rana Shamim, the counsel for Rana, contended before the court that the agreement was fake. He said Lashari himself procured the stamp paper and prepared the so-called agreement without bringing the matter to the knowledge of the producer.

According to him, Lashari was not the partner in the movie but an employee of the company which produced `Waar`.

The IHC will take up the matter again after a couple of weeks.Malik Asad