Veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani, who is best known for backing movies like Coolie No 1 (1995), Hero No.1 (1997), and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), has landed in a controversy over alleged non-payment of dues. It is being reported that Bhagnani has a Rs 250 crore debt after his recent productions including Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan tanked at the box office.
Amidst this, a new report has claimed that Vashu Bhagnani owes Rs 65 lakh to the crew members.
Vashu Bhagnani accused of non-payment of dues to over 250 set workers
On June 28, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) President BN Tiwari revealed that Vashu Bhagnani owes over Rs 65 lakh to crew members who worked with him.
Tiwari added that the producer owes Rs 31.78 lakh to over 250 workers, who worked on the sets of three movies, Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, PTI reported.
Vashu Bhagnani owes Rs 33.13 lakh to Mission Raniganj director
Bhagnani, the owner of Pooja Entertainment, also owes Rs 33.13 lakh to Mission Raniganj director Tinu Suresh Desai.
In 2023, Tinu Desai filed a complaint to the Indian Film & Television Director’s Association (IFTDA) regarding non-payment of his dues. In his complaint dated March 19, 2023, the Mission Raniganj director claimed that he worked for Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra-starrer from February 2022 to October 2023.
Referring to his contract with Pooja Entertainment, Desai also stated that he has received Rs 3,70,36,092 so far, out of Rs 4,03,50,000.
Talking about the Mission Raniganj director’s complaint from last year, Tiwari said that he has been following up with Pooja Entertainment but the production house hasn’t made the payment yet.
Pooja Entertainment allegedly delayed the payments citing Jackky Bhagnani’s wedding
FWICE President BN Tiwari further shared that in an email to IFTDA in February 2024, Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment sought time to pay the dues citing his son Jackky Bhagnani’s wedding.
However, when FWICE wrote a letter to Bhagnani’s company in March, the company requested that they clear the dues after the release of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
Tiwari also stressed that Vashu Bhagnani’s company have stated that the dues will be cleared by the end of July. However, if the company fails to do so, the workers won’t work on “any of their films”, he added.
