Ekta Kapoor celebrated the Rs 211-crore success of Bhooth Bangla, thanks to Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan. Meanwhile, vendors have claimed unpaid dues of Rs 48 lakh despite the film’s performance, highlighting delayed payments in the industry. Balaji denied the allegations. Separately, a Tu Yaa Main crew member also raised concerns about pending bills.
On Wednesday, Ekta Kapoor took to Instagram to celebrate the success of her latest film ‘Bhooth Bangla’, praising Akshay Kumar, director Priyadarshan, and the film’s lead cast. The film, which released on April 17, has grossed over Rs 211 crore worldwide.
She expressed her deep thanks to each and every one of them, while giving special credit to Priyadarshan for achieving the biggest success in her career.
‘Bhooth Bangla’ sellers claim that their dues are pending
According to a report by Mid-day, several vendors associated with the film have accused the production house of failing to settle their payments. Despite ‘Bhooth Bangla’ releasing and performing well at the box office, many contributors claim that their dues remain unpaid.
One seller stated that Rs 30 lakh was still pending, while another claimed that Rs 18 lakh had not been cleared.
‘Bhooth Bangla’ payment delay raises concerns
The report notes that delays in clearing payments have become fairly widespread recently. After the release of a film, recovering pending dues from the production house often becomes more difficult for the crew members. The previous rule of settling invoices within 90 days is no longer consistently followed.
One seller also claimed that payments are made first to the main cast and crew, while others are left waiting for months.
The makers of ‘Bhooth Bangla’ respond to these accusations
Amid the ongoing allegations, Balaji Motion Pictures has confirmed that it has settled all outstanding payments. “Balaji Telefilms Limited has fulfilled all contractual payment obligations in respect of various projects undertaken by the company,” it said.
The ‘Bhooth Bangla’ case is echoed in the ‘Tu Yaa Main’ case.
Nikhil Pai, who worked as a second camera operator in Bejoy Nambiar’s romantic thriller ‘Tu Yaa Main’, recently took to his Instagram stories to address Aanand L Rai’s company Color Yellow Productions over the pending dues. “Congratulations on the theatrical and Netflix release. Please clear the bills. They are not due… If you return calls and emails it would be greatly appreciated,” he wrote, referring to the production house. The movie, featuring
Adarsh Gaurav
and
Shanaya Kapoor
It was released in theaters on February 13 and later premiered on Netflix India on April 10.