On Wednesday, Ekta Kapoor shared a heartfelt post on her Instagram, praising lead actor Akshay Kumar, director Priyadarshan, and the main cast of her recent production, “Bhooth Bangla.” The film has garnered over Rs 211 crore globally since its premiere on April 17. Kapoor expressed her gratitude to each individual involved, particularly thanking Priyadarshan for delivering her most successful film to date. However, a report from Mid-day indicates that several vendors who collaborated on the project have raised concerns regarding unpaid dues.
These vendors claim they have yet to receive their payments despite the film’s commercial success. One vendor reported outstanding payments of Rs 30 lakh, while another cited an unpaid amount of Rs 18 lakh. The issue of delayed payments has reportedly become increasingly common in the industry. Once a film is released, recovering owed funds from production houses often becomes more challenging. The standard practice of settling invoices within 90 days is reportedly not being adhered to as strictly as before. According to one vendor, payments are prioritized for the cast and main crew, leaving others waiting for extended periods.
In response to the allegations, Balaji Motion Pictures stated that all dues have been settled. The company asserted, “Balaji Telefilms Limited has fulfilled all its contractual payment obligations concerning various projects undertaken by the company.”
Earlier this week, Nikhil Pai, a second camera operator for Bejoy Nambiar’s romantic thriller “Tu Yaa Main,” tagged Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions on his Instagram Stories, seeking payment for overdue invoices. He wrote, “Congratulations on the theatre and Netflix release. Please clear the invoices. It’s beyond due… if you reply to calls and emails that would be much appreciated.” The film, featuring Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor, was released in theaters on February 13 and on Netflix India on April 10.
A representative from Colour Yellow Productions commented to SCREEN, “We’re addressing the situation. Payments come in stages, and he has yet to receive the final installment. The process can take longer due to the large number of crew members involved in a film who need to be compensated. He is only awaiting 8% of his total payment. We have not received any communication from him directly, though others are in contact regarding their dues.”
While delays in payments on film sets are not a new issue, they have become increasingly prevalent. Ali Abbas Zafar, director of the upcoming action thriller “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,” recently accused producer Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment of failing to pay Rs 7.30 crore. He reported the matter to the FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees), which has received similar grievances from cast members such as Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, and Alaya F.
The complaints indicated that a total of Rs 65 lakh remained unpaid to the crew. While Pooja Entertainment refuted some of these allegations, arguing that the dues were subject to offsets, staff members expressed their distress at having to sell personal property or struggle with medical expenses due to unpaid wages.
Notably, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,” featuring Akshay Kumar and Shroff, was produced with a hefty budget of Rs 350 crore but only managed to earn Rs 100 crore at the box office.
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