Vashu Bhagnani, the head of Pooja Entertainment, accused Netflix India of allegedly ‘cheating’ him of a significant amount of money. Vashu claims that the OTT platform has not paid him the ₹47.37 crore. He is owed for his three recent films, Hero No. 1, Mission Raniganj, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The producer filed a complaint against Los Gatos Production Services India, Zoo Digital India, and executives of both companies.
An Economic Times report states that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has summoned the production services firm in connection with Vashu Bhagnani’s complaint against Netflix. This is not the first controversy surrounding Vashu Bhagnani. He recently made headlines for his feud with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan director Ali Abbas Zafar. The crew of the film accused Vashu of not paying their dues. And Ali Abbas Zafar claimed that Vashu still owed him ₹7.30 crore.
According to the same publication, Netflix released a statement to the press claiming that Pooja Entertainment owes them money. The statement reportedly reads, “These claims are completely unfounded. Indeed, it’s Pooja Entertainment that owes Netflix money. We have a strong track record of partnership with the Indian creative community. And are working with the authorities to resolve this dispute.” They also quoted a source claiming that a civil dispute was registered by Netflix against the production house for non-payment.
Furthermore, Vashu and his son Jackky Bhagnani filed a complaint against Ali for allegedly siphoning subsidy funds of ₹9.50 crore that he took from Abu Dhabi authorities during filming. The complaints also included allegations of extortion, coercion, and defamation. On September 22, a Dainik Bhaskar report revealed director Ali Abbas Zafar had filed a complaint with the Directors’ Association against Pooja Entertainment for not paying him Rs 7.30 crore to direct Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Following the complaint, the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) sent a letter to Vashu Bhagnani, seeking an explanation for the unpaid dues. The FWICE then asked Zafar to submit proof of his claim for unpaid dues.