Vashu Bhagnani’s production house, Pooja Entertainment, finds itself embroiled in controversy as several crew members have come forward with accusations of unpaid dues. The reputed production house, known for backing major Bollywood projects, is under scrutiny after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president BN Tiwari revealed that Bhagnani owes over Rs 65 lakh to the crew members from three different films.
Films at the heart of the controversy are ‘Mission Raniganj,’ ‘Ganapath,’ and ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.’ According to a report by PTI, Pooja Entertainment owes Mission Raniganj’s director, Tinu Desai, a substantial amount of Rs 33.13 lakh. Meanwhile, Rs 31.78 lakh is still due to over 250 set workers who worked on not just ‘Mission Raniganj,’ but also on Tiger Shroff’s ‘Ganapath’ (2023) and Akshay Kumar and Shroff’s upcoming film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ (2024).
In a complaint filed on March 19, 2023, to the Indian Film & Television Director’s Association (IFTDA), Desai disclosed that he had worked on ‘Mission Raniganj’ from February 2022 to October 6, 2023, which is the release date of the film. Though the agreed payment for his work was Rs 4,03,50,000, Desai has reportedly received only Rs 3,70,36,092.
FWICE President BN Tiwari explained that IFTDA had sent multiple letters to Pooja Entertainment, urging them to settle the dues. Initially, the production house cited Jackky Bhagnani’s wedding as the reason for their delayed payment in an email dated February 20, 2024. Subsequently, after receiving another letter from FWICE in March 2024, Pooja Entertainment promised to settle the dues post the release of ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,’ a promise that remains unfulfilled.
“This is profoundly unfair,” Tiwari said. “While leading a luxurious life, they make excuses when it’s time to pay their dues. They now promise in their latest email to clear the debts by the end of July, but if they don’t, our workers will not be working on any of their future projects.
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The issue has left around 200 to 250 workers, associated with the Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union, awaiting their dues amounting to Rs 31,78,327. Rakesh Maurya, a union leader, pointed out that these workers, who fall into three to four different categories of set constructors, usually earn Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,400 daily. For many, the pending dues range between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 or even more.
Maurya stated, “The workers put in extensive hours to construct these sets, and to see them deprived of their rightful payment is distressing. We appeal to Pooja Entertainment to honor their commitments and pay the hard-earned money to these workers.”
Ashok Dubey, FWICE general secretary, echoed these sentiments, revealing the dismal state of workers in the industry. “The artists receive their payments first, but not our workers. It is heartbreaking to see these workers, who often have no job security, waiting endlessly for their hard-earned money,” he said.
Just last week, numerous crew members exposed Pooja Entertainment for not only non-payment of dues but also for laying off the majority of its workforce. In response to these allegations, Vashu Bhagnani issued a media statement urging those claiming outstanding dues to speak directly with Pooja Entertainment.
“If there are people who claim that we owe them money, they should come forward and talk to us. Do they have a proper contract with Pooja Entertainment? Have they filed a case regarding this? There are so many ways to sort this rather than ranting on social media,” Bhagnani asserted, dismissing the allegations of his production house shutting down.
With FWICE and crew members continuously pushing for justice, the issue has ignited discussions about the treatment and fair compensation of behind-the-scenes workers in the film industry. As the situation unfolds, the spotlight remains on Pooja Entertainment to fulfill their financial obligations to the scores of workers whose labor supports the magic of cinema.
