Bade Miyan Chote Miyan producers file complaint against film's director for siphoning funds

Producers Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani have filed a complaint against filmmaker Ali Abbas Zaffar for siphoning the subsidy funds he took from authorities in Abu Dhabi during the filming of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The film was helmed by Zaffar and produced by Bhagnani's production house Pooja Entertainment. The film starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in lead roles, released in theatres on April 11 and was a box office dud.

About the complaint

The complaint was filed at Bandra Police Station on September 2, 2024, and accuses Ali Abbas Zaffar, Himanshu Mehra, Ekesh Ranadive, and others of multiple serious offences, including fraud, cheating, misappropriation of funds, criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and harassment.

The complainant states that Zaffar and his associatesmismanaged the film's production, leading to significant financial losses. They have also been accussed of inflating budgets, receiving kickbacks, fabricating invoices, and siphoning funds through a shell company based in Abu Dhabi.

Bhagnani also claims that despite assurances, the accused mishandled contracts failed to provide proper financial records, and demanded unapproved payments.

This, along with claims of extortion, coercion, and defamation, has led Bhagnani to seek legal action.

Complaintsagainst producers

A few days earlier media reports stated that Ali Abbas Zafar had accused the producers of not paying him ₹7.30 crores, which he said was his fee for directing Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

Zaffar is not teh only one to have complained of non payment by the Bhagnanis. In June this year, several crew members accused the production house, Pooja Entertainment, for not clearing their payments on time. A crew member, Ruchita Kamble, took to Instagram to pen a long post where she urged others not to work with the production house. Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) president BN Tiwari also claimed that Vashu Bhagnani owes over ₹65 lakh to crew members who worked on three of his films-Mission Raniganj, Ganapath and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

Later responing to the allegations, Jaccky, In an official statement said that Akshay Kumar has asked for his payments from the film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, to be on hold until the entire cast and crew have been paid.

Pooja Entertainment, set up in 1986, is known for backing projects such as Coolie no.1, Biwi no.1, Shaadi no.1 and Jawaani Jaaneman.

While Bade Miyan Chote Miyan was made on a budget of Rs 350 crore (Rs 3.5 billion) it only managed to earn Rs 59.17 crores (Rs 600 million approx).The film also starred Prithviraj Sukumaaran, Alaya F and Manushi Chillar.