The debacle of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has indeed led to an outrage ever since it happened back in April to even today. After multiple reports about the producer of the film, Vashu Bhagnani and his son, Jackky Bhagnani seemingly having several debts to clear ridiculed, the saga now gained new notice.
A report suggested how Bhagnani still hasn’t settled payments that is owned to filmmakers, artists and other daily wage workers as well which amounts to Rs 250 cr owing to the bad performance of films like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Mission Raniganj and Ganapath among others.
Following that, filmmakers Tinu Desai and Ali Abbas Zafar, who directed Mission Raniganj and BMCM respectively lodged complaints against Bhagnani regarding the unpaid dues. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has now urged Bhagnani to address these outstanding dues.
On September 22, 2024, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) addressed concerns about unpaid dues allegedly involving producer Vashu Bhagnani. The organization clarified that it has officially received multiple complaints related to non-payment from various professionals, including technicians, workers, artists, and vendors.
Among those filing grievances is filmmaker Tinu Desai, who directed Mission Raniganj featuring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra last year. According to the statement, despite ongoing efforts to resolve the issue, Desai is still awaiting his remaining payment.
Additionally, director Ali Abbas Zafar complained regarding unpaid fees for his work on Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which was released earlier this year and starred Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff.
Further claims have come from the technical crew and vendors of Ganapath, directed by Vikas Bahl and starring Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, a film that performed poorly at the box office. FSSAMU, a prominent association representing daily wage workers, also submitted a complaint on behalf of its members regarding unpaid wages.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has mandated that Vashu Bhagnani must resolve all pending payments owed to workers, technicians, artists, and vendors. “After reviewing all relevant contracts, we’ve determined that a significant sum is due to our workers, technicians, artists, and vendors, which the producer is obligated to pay,” the organization stated.
FWICE expressed its hope that Bhagnani will promptly address and settle these outstanding dues across the film industry.
In a prior update from June 2024, FWICE President BN Tiwari disclosed that Bhagnani owes Rs 33.13 lakh to Tinu Suresh Desai, the director of Mission Raniganj. As outlined in Desai’s contract with Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment, the director had received Rs 3,70,36,092 out of a total agreed amount of Rs 4,03,50,000. Tiwari acknowledged that despite continued follow-ups with Bhagnani’s production company, the remaining payment has not yet been made.