The disastrous performance of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, has led to a series of troubles for producer Vashu Bhagnani and his production house, Pooja Entertainment. Now, director Ali Abbas Zafar has come forward with allegations that Bhagnani has failed to pay him Rs 7.30 crore for the film, which was made on a staggering budget of Rs 350 crore but managed to gross less than Rs 100 crore globally.
Zafar has reportedly filed a complaint with the Directors’ Association, prompting the organization to reach out to the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) for intervention. In response, Pooja Entertainment has denied Zafar’s claims, stating that the dues he mentioned are not legitimate and subject to various offsets, as explained to them by BMCM Films Ltd. Zafar has chosen to remain tight-lipped on the issue, fearing that public commentary could further delay his payment.
FWICE president BN Tiwari has further revealed that Pooja Entertainment owes over Rs 65 lakh to crew members across three films: Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. To clear a staggering debt of Rs 250 crore, Vashu Bhagnani reportedly sold the extravagant seven-storeyed Pooja Entertainment office in Mumbai and laid off 80% of his staff. Despite the financial troubles, Ali Abbas Zafar has returned to Yash Raj Films and is expected to direct Pathaan 2 with Shah Rukh Khan.
