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Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, has been performing well at the box office. The film, which was released on April 10, has surpassed the ₹100 crore mark in 20 days. Amid the success, the crew members rose in uproar alleging non payment from past six months.

Bhooth Bangla crews alleges non payment

According to a report in Mid-Day, a vendor claimed that Balaji Telefilms Limited owes him close to ₹30 lakh in fees. "Payments are getting stuck for months. Once the film releases, it becomes difficult to get the money out. The 90-day invoice clearance has become a thing of the past,” a vendor was quoted as saying.

Another crew member alleged that they have been waiting for months to be paid their fee of ₹18 lakh and alleged that non-payment is becoming a common problem in the entertainment industry. “Top talent and key vendors are prioritised when it comes to payment. The crew is asked to wait,” a crew member told the portal.

Not just Bhooth Bangla, several crew members of indie thriller Nemesis have accused its producers of hostile working conditions and non-payment. A crew member said, “When the Bhopal shoot was stalled in January due to lack of funds, we couldn’t check out of the hotel for a week as the staff claimed producers hadn’t cleared their bill.”

What does Balaji Telefilms Limited have to say on the allegation?

When the portal reached out to the production house, it said they had cleared all the payments in relation to various projects. "Balaji Telefilms Limited has fulfilled all its contractual payment obligations in relation to various projects undertaken by the company.”

Bhooth Bangla, helmed by Priyadarshan, is a horror comedy film, starring Paresh Rawal, Jisshu Sengupta, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu and Wamiqa Gabbi.