IIFA: Rakul abruptly leaves interview when questioned about father-in-law Vashu
What's the story
Actor Rakul Preet Singh recently made a sudden exit from a media interaction on the green carpet of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2024.
The unexpected moment happened when she was asked about her father-in-law, producer Vashu Bhagnani, who is facing allegations of not paying dues to the cast and crew of his film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
Preet Singh has been married to Vashu's son, producer Jackky Bhagnani since February 2024.
Sudden departure
Preet Singh's abrupt exit followed question about Bhagnani
As evident in a viral video, Preet Singh was first asked about how her upcoming film De De Pyaar De 2 was going. She said, "Very good."
But when a reporter started to ask her about Bhagnani's ongoing issues, she stopped smiling and walked away without saying anything.
Unpaid dues
Bhagnani and Pooja Entertainment face allegations of unpaid dues
The Bhagnanis' production house, Pooja Entertainment, is currently in hot water over allegations of unpaid dues to crew members on several films.
A few months back, BN Tiwari, the president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), claimed that Bhagnani owes over ₹65 lakh to crew members from three of his films—Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
Additional dues
Other pending payments include directors Ali Abbas Zafar, Vikas Bahl
Tiwari also shared another complaint from director Ali Abbas Zafar, who hasn't received his fees for directing Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff starrer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
He said, "The payments keep getting delayed, and there hasn't been a proper response. So, during this time, we were waiting, and then we received a complaint from Ali Zafar for ₹7.5 crore."
He also mentioned other pending payments, like director Vikas Bahl, who reportedly hasn't been paid ₹2.5 crore for Ganapath.