According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Zafar has filed a grievance with the Directors' Association against Pooja Entertainment over an unpaid amount of Rs 7.30 crore.
The name Vashu Bhagnani has become synonymous with 'trouble.' The veteran producer, whose production house Pooja Entertainment financed many ‘90s blockbusters, has been in the news for alleged bankruptcy. Recently, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar sued Bhagnani for nonpayment of dues. The ‘Bade Miya Chhote Miya’ director has alleged that Bhagnani failed to pay him Rs 7.30 crore. For the unversed, the Rs 350 crore action adventure, which starred Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the lead, was a box-office disaster, failing to cross Rs 100 crore at the end of its theatrical run.
According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Zafar has filed a grievance with the Directors' Association against Pooja Entertainment over an unpaid amount of Rs 7.30 crore. On July 31, 2024, the Directors' Association escalated the matter to the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) for further action. FWICE followed up by sending a letter to Bhagnani, requesting clarification on Zafar's allegations.
In response, Pooja Entertainment rejected the director's claims, stating, "The amount demanded does not represent a valid debt and includes various deductions, as communicated to us by BMCM Films Ltd." FWICE has asked Zafar to submit proof supporting his allegations of unpaid dues. For now, the director has chosen to stay silent, avoiding public statements.
It is reported that he wishes to steer clear of media attention, concerned that it might further postpone his payment. FWICE president BN Tiwari previously revealed that Pooja Entertainment owes over Rs 65 lakh to crew members for three films: 'Mission Raniganj', 'Ganapath', and 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'. In June, it was reported that Bhagnani had sold the grand seven-story Pooja Entertainment office in Mumbai to clear a debt of Rs 250 crore. The company also reportedly laid off 80 percent of its workforce.
When Bhagnanis Had To Sell Off Their Office To Pay Debts
As per a Business Today report, after the debacle of ‘Bade Miya Chote Miyan’, the Bhagnanis had to sell off their seven-floor palatial office in Mumbai to clear a massive Rs 200 crore debt. According to Bollywood Hungama, the struggling production company also cut approximately 80 percent of its workforce and relocated its operations to a modest two-bedroom apartment in Juhu. Reports suggest that the layoffs began as early as January of this year, after a film featuring Tiger Shroff was scrapped following a two-year delay in starting production.
According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Zafar has filed a grievance with the Directors' Association against Pooja Entertainment over an unpaid amount of Rs 7.30 crore. On July 31, 2024, the Directors' Association escalated the matter to the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) for further action. FWICE followed up by sending a letter to Bhagnani, requesting clarification on Zafar's allegations.
In response, Pooja Entertainment rejected the director's claims, stating, "The amount demanded does not represent a valid debt and includes various deductions, as communicated to us by BMCM Films Ltd." FWICE has asked Zafar to submit proof supporting his allegations of unpaid dues. For now, the director has chosen to stay silent, avoiding public statements.
It is reported that he wishes to steer clear of media attention, concerned that it might further postpone his payment. FWICE president BN Tiwari previously revealed that Pooja Entertainment owes over Rs 65 lakh to crew members for three films: 'Mission Raniganj', 'Ganapath', and 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'. In June, it was reported that Bhagnani had sold the grand seven-story Pooja Entertainment office in Mumbai to clear a debt of Rs 250 crore. The company also reportedly laid off 80 percent of its workforce.
