Veteran actress Radha has filed a complaint with the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner against her sister, fellow actress Ambika, and their brother, Mallikarjuna Kunjan Nair, alleging that blank cheques signed by her were taken from her Chennai residence and presented for payment without her consent.
According to Radha’s complaint, five old cheques linked to her business account were presented in Ambika’s name. The amounts mentioned on the cheques were Rs11 lakh, Rs13.17 crore, Rs27.73 crore, Rs7 crore and Rs1.79 crore, totalling Rs50.8 crore, according to a report detailing the complaint. Other reports have described the alleged transaction as involving around Rs46 crore.
Radha said she had kept signed blank cheques in her room for routine business expenses, including employee salaries, electricity bills, taxes and garden maintenance, particularly when she travelled.
The account was originally operated under the name ARS Garden Studio. Radha said the business was renamed RR Gardens in January 2025, following which a new cheque book was issued, and the older cheques were no longer used.
She reportedly received an alert from IDBI Bank on September 17 informing her that five of the old cheques had been presented for large-value transactions in Ambika’s name. Radha said she immediately contacted the bank and asked that the transactions be stopped.
Radha has further alleged that her brother filled in the details, including the names, amounts, and dates, on the cheques. She has accused Ambika and Mallikarjuna of acting together to use the cheques without her knowledge.
The complaint is also linked to a wider family dispute involving property. Radha has sought a police investigation and appropriate criminal action if her allegations are established. The claims in her complaint have not been adjudicated, and the police investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the cheques and their presentation.
Ambika has reportedly disputed Radha’s allegations, saying the cheques were connected to a settlement between the sisters, according to a report published on Monday.
Radha and Ambika were prominent actresses in Tamil cinema during the 1980s and have acted alongside leading stars, including Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Radha made her acting debut in Bharathiraja’s Alaigal Oivathillai in 1981 and went on to act in films including Muthal Mariyathai, Amman Kovil Kizhakale, Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu, and Rajadhi Raja.
Ambika has acted extensively in Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada cinema. The sisters have also appeared together in films including Enkeyo Ketta Kural, Vellai Roja, Idhaya Kovil, Manakanakku, Kadhal Parisu, and Annanagar Mudhal Theru.
With inputs from Agencies
