Pooja Entertainment, owned by Jackky Bhagnani and Vashu Bhagnani, is facing several accusations from employees who have called out the company for non-payment of dues. One of them took to social media to share a lengthy note about the kind of ‘unprofessional’ and ‘unethical’ behaviour and practices of the company, furthermore, urging her colleagues to stand up and speak up about such issues on the platform.

The employee accuses the Bhagnani of ‘fraudulent practices’

“Not the one to ever make such posts but sometimes people need to be ousted! Seeing my team and the crew I worked with struggle day in and out to just get hold of our own hard earned money has compelled me to make this post. Read the sheer frustration of these young girls who have beautifully stated the absolute disregard @pooja_ent has and the sheer unprofessional, unethical behaviour that we all have been tolerating for way too long,” read the note. It continued, “Being dodged from person to another just to ask for our own money which was promised to be cleared within 45-60 working days post completion which in itself is also unprofessional but the crew graciously agreed as we r a bunch driven by passion for filmmaking. But to exploit this passion to such an extent should not be acceptable. There is no hope of getting paid but this post is to make the countless others aware of this fraudulent practices by @pooja_ent @jackkybhagnani @vashubhagnani and vouch to not work with them.”

Before signing off, the note requested everyone to reshare and repost it as much as possible. “Urge my friends to kindly reshare this post and ask other filmmakers to do so too. And if u r associated with any media houses who can escalate it or cover this that will b great,” the note concluded.

Other employees to shared notes about facing such issues

A certain Vaishnavi Paralikar too took to the platform to share her experience of working with the production, a couple of years ago, wherein she penned “I did a movie 2 years ago with a very well known production house. Me along with atleast a 100 crew members are awaiting our payments (2 month salaries) since 2 years. Meanwhile actor have been paid immediately because they are ACTORS. None of the producers have an answer to our question, Where is my hard earned money? Most importantly, When can i get my hard earned money?”

 

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Pooja Entertainment recently produced Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

Best known for producing some of the biggest blockbusters from the 90s like Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Biwi No. 1, as well as the original Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, recently returned with another film with the same title that marked the latest release of the production house this year, in April. While the film differed completely in terms of not just actors and plotline but even the genre, compared to its predecessor, it failed to garner love from audiences. The film starred Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in lead roles along with Manushi Chhillar, Sonakshi Sinha, Alaya F, Ronit Roy, Prithviraj Sukumaran, among others in key roles.

Also Read: Tara Sutaria praises Tiger Shroff in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: “Proud of all that you do”

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The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced about actress Shriya Pilgaonkar joining the jury panel for the Shorts category at the 2024 edition of the festival. This news comes across as a big win for Shriya is making a mark among many popular celebrities and superstars in the Indian Film industry. Shriya’s addition to the IFFLA jury is mainly focuses on the actress sharing her insights that will help spotlight emerging talent and innovative storytelling in short films.

Shriya Pilgaonkar shares excitement about being a part of IFFLA 2024

We hear that the actress’ experience in producing and directing short films and documentaries, which have travelled to international film festivals, has enriched her perspective. Hence, the organizers believe that she is a perfect fit for this festival. Sharing her excitement about being a part of the festival, Shriya said, “I am honoured and thrilled to be invited as a jury member for the short film category at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2024. I look forward to attending the festival in LA and watching these stellar shorts by emerging South Asian filmmakers. The atmosphere at film festivals is always creatively energizing and deeply inspiring. I’m excited to meet and interact with diverse storytellers and performers, and to witness the incredible line-up of films at IFFLA.”

About Shriya Pilagonkar

Shriya’s career spans across mainstream and independent cinema, as well as digital series. Best known for her performances in series like Mirzapur, Guilty Minds, Taaza Khabar and most recently, The Broken News 2, the actress has often received appreciation for bringing complex characters to life with depth and authenticity. In addition to her success in Indian cinema,  Shriya has also made her mark in international projects, including the British series Beecham House directed by Gurinder Chaddha and the French film Un plus Une by veteran filmmaker Claude Lelouch.

More details on IFFLA

The festival shall be held between June 27 – 30, 2024. The festival will close with the screening of two very popular films which includes Maharaja starring Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap, as well as the action-thriller Kill starring Lakshya and produced by Guneet Monga and Karan Johar, among others.

Also Read: Shriya Pilgaonkar expresses her happiness as she gets rave reviews for The Broken News 2; says, “I enjoy making unpredictable choices on and off screen”

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Kangana Ranaut, who recently succeeded in winning the hearts of Mandi citizens and won at the Lok Sabha Elections in her constituency, decided to react to a few remarks passed by her co-actor Annu Kapoor. The latter recently addressed the controversy surrounding his recent release Hamare Baarah, wherein he shared his two cents on the CSIF incident where an officer slapped Ranaut at the airport.

Annu Kapoor asks ‘who is Kangana?’

For the unversed, when Annu Kapoor was asked by a reporter about the incident of Kangana Ranaut being slapped, the veteran actor did not recognize the actress. ‘Yeh Kanganaji kaun hai? Zahir hai aap puch rahein hain toh koi badi heroine hi hongi? Sundar hain kya? Ek sundar hai toh humein waise hi unse jalan ho rahi hai kyun ki ham nahi hai. Uske baad powerful bhi hai. Aap bol rahein hai ki unko kisine thappad maara. Toh karvayi toh karni hi chahiye definitely. (Who is this Kangana ji? It is obvious if you are asking me, it means she is a popular heroine. Is she pretty. If she is, I am already jealous of her because I am not. And on top of that, she seems powerful too. And you are saying someone slapped her? Then she should definitely take action)”.

Kangana Ranaut reacts to Annu Kapoor’s statements

Kangana took to her social media platform Instagram where she shared a story featuring a clip of the press conference where Annu was seen making this statement. The actress wrote, “Do you agree with Anu Kapoor ji that we tend to hate a successful woman, hate her more if she is beautiful and hate her even more passionately if she is powerful? Is it true?”

What happened with Kangana Ranaut

Kangana Ranaut decided to file a legal complaint against an airport security officer who slapped the actress when the latter was returning from Chandigarh. The alleged guard confessed that her mother was highly impacted by Ranaut’s political views and thoughts during the farmer’s protest, and also accused of Kangana being non-cooperative during the security check, which further pushed her to react aggressively towards the actress-turned-politician. However, Kangana maintained that she was highly cooperative with the airport authorities and that the guard suddenly turned hostile towards her.

Also Read: Annu Kapoor asks “Kaun hai” Kangana Ranaut? REACTS to her slap incident

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The controversial film Maharaj was finally released yesterday, June 21, on Netflix after the Gujarat High Court lifted the stay. The film has been in the news ever since the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal raised an objection on the grounds that it hurts religious sentiments. The film was originally scheduled to drop on Netflix on June 14 but on June 13, a stay order was imposed on its release. The hearing began on June 18 and the arguments were heard daily for four days. During the hearing, the advocates representing Netflix and Maharaj’s producers, Yash Raj Films, revealed that the period drama had obtained a censor certificate.

It has come to light that Maharaj was seen by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) way back in May 2023. On May 29 last year, the CBFC passed the film. This was one of the strongest points made by the respondents that helped them vacate the stay order. The lawyers reasoned that Maharaj is a direct-to-digital release and hence, doesn’t require a censor certificate. Yet, their film has been certified.

Bollywood Hungama found some more details about what happened at the CBFC office when the film was up for certification. A source told us, “Maharaj was first viewed by the Examining Committee (EC). However, because of its sensitive content, it was referred to the Revising Committee (RC). The RC, however, understood the intent of the filmmakers and that the content was not against any religion or sect. Hence, the film was passed though some minimal cuts were imposed. The makers accepted the cuts and the film playing on Netflix is the one with the modifications that was asked by the RC.”

The source continued, “It is common knowledge how the CBFC often asks for a lot of cuts for films dealing with religion or any controversial topic. Yet, they passed Maharaj and this went in the favour of the makers.”

Set in 1862, Maharaj is based on the Maharaj Libel Case fought between a prominent religious figure and Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer, in the Supreme Court of Bombay. According to the press statement released by the makers, it was one of the most significant legal battles of all time. Maharaj marks the debut of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan and also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey and Sharvari. It is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra of Hichki (2018) fame.

Also Read: Junaid Khan starrer Maharaj gets a clean chit from Gujarat court, makers express gratitude

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Sara Ali Khan had a rocking debut in 2018 with Kedarnath followed by Simmba. Both films were released within three weeks of each other. Incidentally, the films were also shot almost together. In fact, there was a point when Kedarnath’s dates got affected after Prerna Aroraa left the film. Sara’s management agency gave some of these dates to the makers of Simmba. But soon, Kedarnath was back on track as the issue was resolved. By then, Sara Ali Khan’s dates were given away. Abhishek Kapoor, the director and one of the producers of Kedarnath, went to court over this issue. During an interaction with Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day, Sara Ali Khan spoke about this episode in her life.

Sara explained, “In May 2018, I was supposed to do Simmba. Kedarnath was happening; it was my debut film. Then, some dates went upar neeche and I also signed Simmba. Now, there were 3-4 dates that were coinciding. And yeah, I got sued for Rs. 5 crores (by the makers of Kedarnath)! I was very nervous because I didn’t have Rs. 5 crores (smiles).”

Sara Ali Khan said that it was a difficult period of her life, “My mother (Amrita Singh) was in Delhi as her father was dying. Ibrahim was in school. And I was served a vakaalatnaama. I was like, ‘Ab iska main kya karoon? Samaj hi nahin aa raha’! I sent the management to court as I had to go and shoot which the makers were aware of as they were also at the shoot (smiles)!”

Thankfully, an out-of-court settlement happened soon. She revealed, “Rohit sir (Rohit Shetty) and Gattu sir (Abhishek Kapoor) met in a room. Ranveer Singh (her co-star in Simmba) was also present and he said, ‘Okay, then’ and quickly left the room as it was a bit strange.” Thankfully, a solution was reached in no time. Sara revealed, “Kedarnath’s makers only wanted three dates and Rohit sir said, ‘Theek hai, le lo’! The case ended.”

She also added, “It was tricky as I spent a lot of time flying from Hyderabad to Mumbai. I was shooting simultaneously; Simmba at night and Kedarnath in the morning.” She also stated that due to the case, the equation with Abhishek Kapoor. Then, one day, she got her spot girl Zarna, who makes great coffee, to prepare the beverage for Abhishek Kapoor. She said, “After that, the shoot was smooth.”

Sara Ali Khan also made it clear that there is no bad blood between her and Abhishek, “He also had his reasons. And it’s all good now.”

Also Read: Sara Ali Khan opens up on childhood memories, says she would always choose dad Saif Ali Khan for PTA meetings

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Junaid Khan, the son of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, makes his acting debut in the Netflix film Maharaj, which is based on the life of journalist Karsan Das Mulji. The narrative focuses around the lives of a journalist who, against the odds, used the power of his pen to fight against the ‘atrocities’ perpetrated by religious leaders.

Members of a Hindu organisation filed a court petition to block its distribution, arguing that it violated religious feelings. Protests against its publication included social media boycotts. Its publication was subsequently postponed for one week. The suspension was lifted by the Gujarat High Court on June 21.

After Maharaj secured a clean chit from the court, Yash Raj Films (YRF) issued a long message of thanks to the Court on its official Instagram account. The statement noted, “We are grateful to the judiciary for allowing the release of Maharaj, a film that celebrates one of the most important social reformers of our country, Karsandas Mulji.”

 

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It further noted, We have never produced a film that has tarnished the reputation of our country and our countrymen.”

“#Maharaj is our tribute to one of the greatest social reformers of our country, Karsandas Mulji. The film is streaming now on Netflix,” the production banner said in the caption.

Apart from Junaid, the film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey, and Sharvari Wagh.

Siddharth P Malhotra has directed Maharaj, and Aditya Chopra has produced the film.

Also Read : EXCLUSIVE: Yash Raj Films and Netflix challenge Stay Order on Junaid Khan-starrer Maharaj

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Get ready to witness the producer wars, self-realizations, powerful women and Raghu Khanna’s redemption as Disney+ Hotstar and Dharmatic Entertainment bring to audiences, Showtime. An epic saga of legacy and ambitions, Showtime will give you a sneak peek into the vulnerabilities of Raghu Khanna, his attempt at mending broken relationships and reclaiming what’s his. Created by Sumit Roy and showrunner Mihir Desai, directed by Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar, starring Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Rajeev Khandelwal, Shriya Saran along with Vijay Raaz, Vishal Vashishtha in pivotal roles, all episodes of Showtime to stream on 12th July, on Disney+ Hotstar.

Karan Johar , Founder and Managing Director, Dharmatic Entertainment said, “Showtime holds a special place in my heart. The story showcases the characters’ real lives, their vulnerabilities and the internal struggles that each of them faces in the world of showbiz. From Raghu’s redemption to power-packed performances by Mouni Roy and Mahima Makwana, Showtime will tell a strong story and leave audiences wanting for more. We could not have had a better partner than Disney+ Hotstar and are eager to bring this forward to the masses.”

Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharmatic Entertainment said, “Showtime is a one-of-a-kind series and delves into the world of Bollywood and brings to the forefront the world of Bollywood, the producers at war and struggles to get to the top. Dharmatic and Disney+ Hotstar have had a successful partnership and this continues to strengthen with Showtime. We hope audiences enjoy this.”

Somen Mishra, Head of Content (Fiction), Dharmatic Entertainment said, “We are excited for audiences to witness Raghu Khanna like never before in the new episodes of Showtime. Our association with Disney+ Hotstar has been great and together we wanted to tell a story like this one. Packaged with drama, entertainment and some suspenseful twists and turns, we are looking forward to audience reactions to this one.”
ALSO READ: “Emraan Hashmi has never interfered in the music process; NO ONE can lip sync better than him” – Mohit Suri

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The recently released trailer of the upcoming Indian science fiction film Kalki 2898 AD has been embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. Hollywood concept artist Oliver Beck has accused Vyjayanthi Movies, the makers of the Prabhas starrer, of copying his artwork.

Approached for work, then alleged copying
In an exclusive interview with Indian Express, Beck claimed a surprising detail. He said that Vyjayanthi Movies had initially contacted him to potentially work on Kalki 2898 AD. However, discussions fell through. Soon after, upon seeing the film’s trailer released in June 2024, Beck noticed striking similarities to his own work.
Similarities noted by artist community
Beck isn’t alone in his observations. Another Hollywood concept artist, Sung Choi, also took to X (formerly Twitter) to make similar accusations. While Choi later removed his tweet, Beck has maintained his stance. He claims that while some may not find the similarities immediately obvious, the artistic community clearly sees the references.

“It might be difficult to see the plagiarism when you are not an artist,” Beck explained. “But all my artist friends and the community are very clear that this was referenced from my work.” He further added, “The main takeaways are the colour palettes, it is the same, and also the shapes. It is not an exact copy, but the shapes are similar. It is too much of a coincidence because they also contacted me to work on this film. So, they know my portfolio and they have seen my work, so it is too much of a coincidence.”

Sad to see that some of the work I did for Star Trek: Prodigy got stolen by Vyjayanthi movies in their trailer:https://t.co/KWrFKJkksn
This is the matte painting I did for Star Trek under direction of Ben Hibon and Alessandro Taini and then as it appears in the trailer. pic.twitter.com/CYFP008Rd7

— Oliver Beck (@OliverBeckArt) June 13, 2024

Challenges of legal action
Beck acknowledges the difficulty of pursuing legal action. Since his work wasn’t directly copied, it falls outside the scope of copyright protection. He contrasts his situation with Sung Choi’s, where a more blatant case of copying might hold legal ground.
Limited options for artists
Unfortunately, artists often find themselves with limited recourse in such situations. Beck highlights the option of a copyright strike on platforms like YouTube to raise awareness but admits the challenges in achieving a resolution. This is the first time Beck has encountered such a significant case of alleged plagiarism involving his work in the Indian film industry. He has faced minor instances previously, but this incident has left a sour taste.
Impact on perception of Indian film industry
The experience has negatively impacted Beck’s view of working in Indian cinema. He initially saw it as a positive opportunity for diversification, especially during a period of slow work in Hollywood. However, conversations with other artists have painted a concerning picture.

He explained, “As they spend a lot of money on actors, there is no budget left to pay artists, and they resort to plagiarising and doing some cheap work and it is really unpleasant. I spoke to another person who worked on Kalki 2898 AD but they quit after only a week because of a bad work environment. I have received a lot of negative feedback and now I am not interested in working in that industry.”

The accusations against Vyjayanthi Movies remain unaddressed by the production company at this time. Whether the controversy will have any impact on the film’s release is yet to be seen.

Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan strikes a pose with the ‘GREATS’ Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone from Kalki 2898 AD event: “Simply intoxicating”

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Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s inspiring drama 12th Fail has become a phenomenon. The film, featuring Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar, has garnered immense appreciation from audiences worldwide and continues to achieve remarkable milestones. In a significant development, Vikrant Massey will be attending the special screening of 12th Fail at the Shanghai Film Festival.

12th Fail has enjoyed a phenomenal theatrical run, lasting an unprecedented six months. This longevity is a testament to the film’s exceptional quality and profound impact on viewers. The movie also celebrated its silver jubilee, marking a record-breaking 25 weeks of theatrical success, solidifying its enduring appeal.

Even after its impressive theatrical run, 12th Fail continued to thrive on digital platforms. It garnered maximum viewership on OTT services, proving to be a successful proposition in the web domain as well. The film’s popularity transcended borders with a massive release in China, where it was showcased on over 20,000 screens. This release further amplified 12th Fail’s global reach and critical acclaim.

The upcoming screening at the Shanghai Film Festival and Vikrant Massey’s attendance are just the latest highlights in the film’s ongoing success story.
ALSO READ: BREAKING: Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s 2nd film titled Talakhon Mein Ek

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The premiere production house Yash Raj Films and OTT platform Netflix can heave a sigh of relief. Today, that is June 21, the Gujarat High Court lifted the stay order on the film Maharaj. The period drama was all set to release on Netflix on June 14. However, just a day before the release, the Gujarat High Court stayed the release.

The trial for the case began on June 19 and was heard on a daily basis. Both sides put forward their points in a detailed manner while arguing the case. The petitioners believed that the film hurts religious sentiments and could cause law and order issues. The advocates representing Yash Raj Films and Netflix reasoned that the film is based on the book ‘Maharaj’ by Saurabh Shah and that this book has been available since 2013 and hasn’t led to any problems. They assured that the film doesn’t depict any religion in a bad light.

One of the major points of the petitioners was that Maharaj was based on the 1862 libel case. The judgment given in this case by the then Supreme Court of Bombay was defamatory. The respondents revealed that the film never shows or reads aloud the judgment though it does depict the trial that took place at that time.

On Wednesday, Justice Sangeeta K Vishen was requested to view the film and she agreed to the plea. Ms Vishen, while giving the judgment on June 21, said that the court didn’t find anything objectionable. She also maintained that the film doesn’t hurt the religious feelings of the petitioners or the Pushtimarg sect. She further remarked that since the time the book ‘Maharaj’ was released, no untoward law and order incident has come to light. She added that even the petitioners have not placed any such incident on record.

As a result, Justice Sangeeta K Vishen decided to vacate the stay order and allowed Netflix to stream the film.

Set in 1862, Maharaj is based on the Maharaj Libel Case fought between a prominent religious figure and Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer, in the Supreme Court of Bombay. According to the press statement released by the makers, it was one of the most significant legal battles of all time. Besides Junaid Khan, Maharaj also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Shalini Pandey with Sharvari in a cameo. It is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra of Hichki (2018) fame.

Also Read: Junaid Khan faced SEVEN REJECTIONS, including his dad Aamir Khan’s film Laal Singh Chaddha

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