After announcing his long-awaited project ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ on Akshay Kumar’s birthday, producer Firoz Nadiadwala has found himself entangled in a complicated situation. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), a prominent film industry workers union in Mumbai with a massive membership of over 500,000, has taken a stern stance against Nadiadwala and his ambitious upcoming venture, ‘Welcome To The Jungle.’
In a letter dated September 9, 2023, the president of FWICE has leveled accusations against Firoz Nadiadwala for failing to make timely payments to several artists who were part of Nadiadwala’s 2015 production, ‘Welcome Back.’ Among the aggrieved artists are director Anees Bazmee, makeup artist Bashar Khan, cinematographer Kabir Lal, actor Adi Irani, actor Mushtaque Khan, and actor Swatantra Bharat. Notably, director Anees Bazmee is owed a significant sum of Rs 2 crores.
Back in 2015, during the release of ‘Welcome Back,’ Anees Bazmee had revealed in an interview that Firoz had initially agreed to pay him Rs 11.27 crores as his directorial fee. However, out of this amount, he had only received Rs 6.64 crores. Anees had voluntarily waived Rs 2.62 crores but had expected Firoz to clear the remaining Rs 2 crores. Unfortunately, it appears that this payment was never settled.
It seems that the shadows of the past have returned to haunt Firoz Nadiadwala, and it’s becoming increasingly evident that he cannot move forward with his ambitious project, ‘Welcome To The Jungle,’ without first addressing the unpaid dues of the artists who contributed to his previous film in the comedic franchise.
