Pooja Entertainment Crew on Unpaid Dues: Pooja Entertainment owner Vashu Bhagnani is in the news these days. Actually, many crew members of his production house have alleged that their money is stuck for a long time. They have not received payment.
Many members posted on Instagram that they have not received their payment yet. However, Vashu Bhagnani reacted to these reports in a conversation with Times of India. He said- ‘I have been in this business for the last 30 years. Those who are claiming that I have not paid them should come forward and talk to us. Did they have a proper contract with Pooja Entertainment? No one is running away. Come to my office and talk. Give me the documents and give me 60 days.’
There were also reports that after Akshay Kumar’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan flopped, Vashu Bhagnani had to sell his Mumbai office. On this Vashu said- ‘The office space is being redeveloped, which was planned more than a year ago. Hit and flop films are a part of business.’
Crew members in fear and despair
Now Indian Express has talked to some people associated with Pooja Entertainment. They told that there is an atmosphere of fear and despair inside the crew. Because they do not know whether they will get payment or not and they are tensed about their next EMI. Also, some people told that there are many crew members of Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Rakul Preet Singh (Jacky Bhagnani’s wife) film Mere Husband Ki Biwi who have not received payment. Even after the production is completed in 2022, they are now waiting for full payment.
Ravi Kumar, who worked in Mudassar Aziz’s film, told Indian Express that the shooting of the film was stopped due to non-payment, but when he sent an email that the payment would be made next month, the shooting resumed, but the payment was pending.
Borrowed money to pay hospital bills
Getting emotional, Ravi Kumar said that he got a part of the payment when he pleaded that one of his family members was very ill and he needed money for him. He said, ‘My balance was 1,56,000. Later I met with an accident, so I called the production house and asked them to give me my money, a person said on the phone that he would make the payment but did not do so. I was bedridden for 8 months. My insurance money was also over, so I borrowed money to pay my hospital bills. I kept calling from the hospital bed, but only got excuses. I am a focus puller but after the accident, because I am not able to walk properly, I am not getting enough work.’
‘I sent them my hospital bills and reports, photos. When I called there, I was treated rudely. I made a few more calls and got Rs 50,000. Rs 1,06,000 is still due. This is a huge amount for me.’
Ravi Kumar said that he was also a part of Jawaani Jaaneman. He got the money for that film too very late. He has also worked in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, for which he got the money because he was hired through Ali Abbas Zafar (co-producer). Ravi said- Ali Abbas Zafar is a wonderful person. But there were other crew members in the film, they have not been paid. All the stars were paid, Akshay Kumar and everyone else got full payment, then why not us? I hope he will speak for us too.
‘Had to sell the house’
According to Indian Express, a source who has worked in Pooja Entertainment’s unreleased film said, “If you work for 50 days and don’t get paid… what’s the point? How does one run their house? I had a lot of EMIs, which I had to sell my house to pay. But they didn’t pay. I even told them that my situation is very bad. Many people even left the shooting midway.”
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