FWICE President: Producer Vashu Bhagnani Owes Rs 65 Lakh to Team Members, Including Mission Raniganj Director
Veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani, known for producing hit movies like Coolie No 1 (1995), Hero No.1 (1997), and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), is embroiled in a controversy over unpaid dues. Reports suggest that Bhagnani is facing a debt of Rs 250 crore after the failure of his recent productions, including Bade Miyan Chote Miyan starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff.
Adding to the controversy, a new report claims that Vashu Bhagnani owes Rs 65 lakh to crew members.
Vashu Bhagnani accused of not paying over 250 set workers
FWICE President BN Tiwari revealed on June 28 that Bhagnani owes over Rs 65 lakh to crew members who worked with him.
Tiwari mentioned that Bhagnani has outstanding dues of Rs 31.78 lakh to more than 250 workers who worked on the sets of three movies, Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, as per PTI reports.
Vashu Bhagnani owes Rs 33.13 lakh to Mission Raniganj director
Aside from the crew members, Bhagnani also owes Rs 33.13 lakh to Mission Raniganj director Tinu Suresh Desai.
In his complaint to IFTDA in 2023, Tinu Desai highlighted non-payment of dues for his work on Mission Raniganj, a movie featuring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra. Desai claimed he worked from February 2022 to October 2023 and has only received a portion of his total due amount.
Tiwari revealed that despite following up with Pooja Entertainment, the payments to Desai and other workers remain pending.
Pooja Entertainment cited wedding as reason for payment delay
FWICE President BN Tiwari mentioned that in February 2024, Pooja Entertainment requested time to clear dues citing Jackky Bhagnani’s wedding.
However, in March, the company stated they would clear dues only after the release of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Tiwari emphasized that if dues are not cleared by the end of July, workers will boycott working on their films.