Pooja Entertainment’s unpaid dues: Akshay Kumar steps in, asks Jackky Bhagnani to hold his payment for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan until entire cast, crew are paid

Amid allegations of unpaid dues to actors and crew members, the production and distribution company Pooja Entertainment has finally broken its silence on the matter, revealing that Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has stepped in to help resolve the situation. In the past few weeks, The Indian Express has extensively reported on how those who worked on films bankrolled by Pooja Entertainment have yet to receive payments. Almost a fortnight ago, several crew members came forward accusing company founder Vashu Bhagnani of non-payment of dues. In a collaborative Instagram post, the victims described their ordeal. Vashu’s son and actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani, who co-produced Pooja Entertainment’s last box office bomb Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the lead roles, has now responded to the financial allegations. “Akshay sir met me recently to discuss this matter. Upon learning about this situation, Akshay sir didn’t hesitate to step forward and show his support for the crew. He has insisted that his payments be placed on hold until every single crew member working on our projects receive their full and final payment. We are incredibly grateful for Akshay sir’s understanding and his willingness to stand with us during this time. The movie business hinges on strong relationships and that is the spirit we strive to foster in the industry,” he said in a statement. The Indian Express had also learned that, besides crew members, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan actors Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, Alaya F, and Manushi Chhillar were also awaiting their payments for the film, which was released in April. “Tiger Shroff too has not received his fees for the film. He has maintained his silence on the non-payment of his dues for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan but after learning that the crew and the support staff, who gave the film their all, have also not been paid, he wants the production house to clear the dues immediately,” sources close to the film told us. We previously reported that the estimated cost of the crew and vendors owed by Pooja Entertainment is around Rs 2.5 crore. Meanwhile, amid the controversy, Vashu Bhagnani, who has been reeling from the shock of back-to-back box office flops, said that things aren’t as bad for him as they’re being made out to be. Dismissing rumours, he told the Times of India that he is already planning his next project, which will also be mounted on a huge scale.