Ektaa Kapoor (Pic/Instagram)
A few days ago, reports emerged about vendors accusing Ektaa Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms Limited over non-payement of dues for thier services during the Bhooth Bangla shoot. Now, the production house has officially responded to the reports and social media discussions related to Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhooth Bangla.
In its official statement, Ektaa Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms denied the allegations and stated that all contractual obligations had already been fulfilled.
The official statement read, "With reference to various recent media reports and social media posts regarding certain allegations about unpaid dues by Balaji Telefilms Limited for the film Bhooth Bangla, this is to clarify that the Company has fulfilled all its contractual payment obligations for the film and there are no unpaid contractual dues nor is anything further due and payable to any vendors engaged by the company for this film for any services rendered by them."
The statement further added, "Balaji Telefilms Limited, as a leading media organisation, holds all its partners, vendors and creative teams in high respect and duly fulfils all its contractual obligations and maintains high standards of corporate governance."
The clarification follows recent reports about some vendors connected to the film claiming delays in receiving payments. According to reports, one vendor alleged that approximately Rs 30 lakh was still pending. The vendor reportedly said, "Payments are getting stuck for months. Once the film is released, it becomes difficult to get the money out. The 90-day invoice clearance has become a thing of the past."
Another member claimed that they had been waiting months to be paid their fee of Rs 18 lakh, highlighting that non-payment is becoming a common problem in the industry. "Top talent and key vendors are prioritised when it comes to payment. The crew is asked to wait," a crew member said.
Similarly, writer Pranjal Kriplani has apparently sent producers Alok Kumar Chaubey and Sanjay Gupta a legal notice, accusing them of defaulting on his Rs 50,000 payment. A crew member added, "When the Bhopal shoot was stalled in January due to lack of funds, we couldn't check out of the hotel for a week as the staff claimed producers hadn't cleared their bill."
