As a seasoned film industry insider with decades of experience, I find myself deeply troubled by the escalating saga between Pooja Entertainment and director Ali Abbas Zafar over the Bade Miyan Chote Miyan debacle. The allegations and counter-allegations have become akin to a never-ending Bollywood masala film, filled with twists, turns, and unexpected surprises.
The dispute between Pooja Entertainment and director Ali Abbas Zafar concerning financial obligations related to the upcoming Eid 2024 release, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, is escalating. Ali Abbas Zafar and other team members have taken their complaints about unpaid dues to FWICE (Federation of Western Cine Employees). Meanwhile, Vashu & Jackky Bhagnani have filed a complaint with the police against the director, accusing him of misappropriating funds.
Currently, it’s being reported that since allegations against Ali Abbas Zafar surfaced, team members from BMCM have expressed their thoughts on the situation. The first to speak up was actor Khalid, who had a minor role in the production. According to Khalid and others, some of the crew members received payments from Ali Abbas Zafar, who recently obtained subsidy funds from Abu Dhabi.
Renowned action director Parvez Shaikh, known for films such as War, Bang Bang, Sultan, Brahmastra, Fighter, Tiger 3, Prithviraj, Bharat, and OMG, among others, has spoken out on social media in defense of director Ali Abbas Zafar. In his post, he states, “I came across an article alleging false accusations and defamation against a well-respected director/producer by Pooja Films. However, the truth is actually reversed. I was the action director for the film BMCM, and the allegations against AAZ Films are unfounded. I have been working with Mr. Ali Abbas Zafar since 2014, and I have never encountered any payment issues with them, and they are always true to their word in business matters.
Parvez stated, “At last, following the disbursement of funds from Abu Dhabi for BMCM, I’d like to express my gratitude towards Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra for settling all my wages and payments for the dedicated stunt team via the movie stunt artist association. However, I am yet to receive the costly filming equipment from the producers.” He further added, “The high-end gear we used during BMCM’s London shoot is still kept in Pooja Films’ studio in Luton, and we haven’t received any word regarding its return. Moreover, for the project Eagle, produced by Pooja Films in India, neither worker wages nor equipment payments have been made so far.
Film editor Steven Bernard, who has been involved in projects such as Golmaal 3, Chennai Express, Singham Returns, Bol Bachchan, Race 3, Housefull 3, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani, and others, voiced his experience on social media. “During our collaboration with Pooja Films on BMCM, we encountered a recurring issue: payments were inconsistent and frequently late. Following a year’s worth of hard work on a project, one expects to receive their full compensation. However, a substantial sum was still owed and delayed for more than five months following the film’s release. At that time, I was dealing with an immediate and critical family matter involving my father’s hospitalization for over two months, necessitating funds.
He subsequently expressed, “I persistently checked in, but no progress was made. All through this time, AAZ Films remained encouraging and promised me my payment. At long last, following the recent disbursement from Abu Dhabi, thanks to the efforts of AAZ Films, I received the final payment in full. This brings a significant sense of relief for me, and I am deeply appreciative of their help and actions.
In addition to Ali Abbas Zafar and the team, 10 other individuals expressed gratitude on Instagram for settling their payments. These people are Khalid (Actor), Shaurya Kohli (Assistant Director), Diksha Pradhan (Assistant Director), Saurabh Kumar (Associate Director), Shahab (Actor), Anurag Pandey (Associate Editor), Makvika Bajaj (Costume Designer), Rohed Khan (Actor), and Marcin Laskawiec (Director of Photography). It’s been reported that top choreographer Bosco Martis, along with 90 other crew members, have received their payments from the Abu Dhabi subsidy as well.
We attempted to contact Jackky Bhagnani for a statement, but he was not reachable at the time. Additionally, AAZ Films representatives declined to comment on the issue. According to our reliable information, all payments have been made while maintaining confidentiality with FWICE, as they are overseeing the process to ensure that every crew member involved receives their payment and there is no misuse of funds. Our source added that approximately 150 vendors, technicians, and crew members are anticipated to be paid by next week, under the supervision of FWICE (President B.N. Tewari) and IFTDA (President Ashoke Pandit).
Ashoke Pandit, president of IFTDA, has shared with TopMob his exclusive statement: “Our federation is ensuring that all payments to vendors are managed properly to prevent misuse of subsidy funds. In essence, Pooja Entertainment owes money to our technicians for their work on Ganapath and Mission Raniganj. For the past eight months, we have been trying to get Pooja Entertainment to pay up regarding Raniganj, but they have only made promises without delivering on the payments. Their actions seem questionable. Recently, Ali Abbas Zafar has brought a complaint about non-payment by Pooja Entertainment, which is a concern for us. However, it appears that Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra are now taking care of the outstanding dues to our members using funds from the Abu Dhabi subsidy.
We still await an official comment from the end of Pooja Entertainment.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-09-26 14:23