Actress sisters Ambika, Radha spar over family property, business

Actor Ambika has levelled counter-allegations against her sister and yesteryear actress Radha, who accused her of attempting to misuse signed cheques to encash ₹46 crore. At a press meet held in Chennai on Wednesday, Ambika alleged that Radha owed her ₹97 crore and claimed that the cheques cited in Radha’s complaint had actually been handed over to her as part of a settlement between the sisters.

Ambika said the cheques were meant to help settle outstanding dues. She alleged that when one of the cheques bounced and they were preparing to initiate legal proceedings, Radha came forward with the allegations of cheque misuse. Ambika, who broke down during the press meet, further alleged that Radha had changed the name of their joint business, ARS Garden Studio, to RR Garden without informing her. She also accused her sister of attempting to sell the business without her knowledge.

The dispute reportedly extends beyond the cheque allegations and involves property and business interests. According to Ambika, she had earlier raised a complaint concerning the ARS Gardens dispute, which was subsequently investigated by officials in Maduravoyal. The matter is also linked to an arbitration case pending before the Madras High Court.

Ambika alleged that she had been denied her 50-cent share of land belonging to the ARS property at Maduravoyal, as well as her one-third partnership share in ARS Garden Studios and certain income-tax-related returns. She also referred to a complaint allegedly filed by their brother Mallikarjunan concerning the registration of the Chennai ARS property in Kerala. According to Ambika, an FIR was subsequently registered, while a civil suit is pending before a court in Thiruvallur.

The latest allegations come days after Radha approached the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, alleging that Ambika had misused five or six old signed cheques kept at her residence for business-related purposes. Radha said she had started using new cheques after changing the name of the business from ARS Garden Studio to RR Garden and had forgotten about the old ones. She alleged that on September 16, she received a bank alert informing her that the old cheques had been presented for encashment in Ambika’s name. The sisters, who were among the popular actresses in Tamil and Malayalam cinema during the 1980s, are now at the centre of a family and business dispute involving competing allegations that have not been adjudicated.