The non-payment of dues has become a major issue in the TV industry. We have often seen producers and actors at loggerheads over payment issues. Recently, Actor Shailesh Lodha and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Kumarr Modi reportedly had a tiff due to non-payment of dues. After being a part of the sitcom for several years, Shailesh quit TMKOC, reportedly due to a rift with the producer. It was then reported by various media outlets that the actor had a tiff due to non-payment of dues, and he decided to take the legal route in this matter. In March, the actor reportedly complained to producer Asit Kumarr Modi and sued his production house. The hearing for the case is in May.
Today, we bring you more cases when producers and TV actors fought over payment issues.
In the past, TV actor Siddharth Arora who was seen in the show Laado 2, had claimed that he did not receive the payment of his dues from the show’s producer Dhaval Gada. He further mentioned that Laado 2, where he had worked in 2018, had a contract with one-sided clauses. Siddharth claimed that even when he received a cheque, it bounced. In an interview with India TV, Siddharth spoke about being harassed mentally and financially. He said, “It’s been 2 and half years since I am pursuing the production house for my hard-earned money. But they haven’t cleared my dues till now. They mentally and financially harass me. I have registered my complaint with CINTAA for more than 1 and a half years. Last month I received a cheque from them for my remaining balance, but that also bounced. We all know that bouncing a cheque is a criminal offense. But I still hope the production house will understand the situation and clear my dues. The current corona crisis adds to the woes. CINTAA is looking into the matter. I hope the matter will be resolved as soon as possible.”
In April and May 2020, the now-off-air show, Hamari Bahu Silk, made headlines for the wrong reasons. The producers of the daily soap failed to clear the dues of the cast and crew even after it ended in August 2019. The lead actor Zaan Khan had also hit the streets twice to demand justice when he waged a silent protest against the show’s producers- Devyani Rale, Sudhanshu Tripathi, and Jyoti Gupta. The show’s lead actor Zaan and several other members of the show ‘Hamarai Bahu Silk’ had been barely paid for only one month despite shooting for the serial for seven months. However, later the actors- Zaan Khan, Chahat Pandey, and others received 70% of their due amount.
Once, Sanaya Irani talked about non-payments of dues and said, “I’ve not done TV in six years, and I do remember during that time also, producers used to make up excuses that they will pay after three months because the channel will pay them after three months. It’s always blamed on the channel. One person passes the buck to the other, but it is like you are eating into the poor people’s lives. I never had to wait long because the producers I’ve worked with were very nice, and I was very professional about these things,” according to Koi Moi.
Hina also once expressed her displeasure over the unprofessional behavior of some producers. As per reports in Bollywood Hungama, she said that she knows of a producer who has not cleared payments, and it is very wrong of them to do so. As an actor, she must fulfill her working hours and perform stellarly. Similarly, a producer must make the payments when due. She further says that if the show becomes a hit tomorrow, it’s not like the producers will share the profits with the others, so they should make payments whenever it’s due rather than leaving the cast and crew to fend for themselves. She further said that she understands being a producer comes with multiple risks, but they need to keep a sum of money in their spare in case things don’t go as planned. They need to pay the dues to the actors and crew for their hard work and hours.
Television actress Sonarika Bhadoria also revealed that she was not paid her dues for Dastaan-E-Mohabbat: Salim Anarkali, which she did in 2018. In an interview, the actress mentioned that it’s been years, but she was still waiting to receive payment of over Rs 70 lakh. Sonarika further mentioned that several other actors and technicians from the same show were also waiting for payment.
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