Pooja Entertainment, the production house owned by Vashu and Jackky Bhagnani, has been in the news for a while now over the company withholding salaries of the crew members and accumulating a debt of 250 crores. The controversy stirred when staff members took to social media to share their frustration over non-payment of salaries for a prolonged period.

The issue gained momentum after the whopping fees charged by Tiger Shroff for two movies surfaced online. While Vashu Bhagnani had rebuffed the claims of the crew members, his son Jackky Bhagnani has revealed how Akshay Kumar stepped up to help the production house.

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In a statement released on Monday, June 1, Jackky revealed that ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ star Akshay Kumar has asked the banner to hold his salary and first clear the dues of the staff members. In the statement, Jackky said he recently met Akshay to discuss the matter and after learning the situation, the ‘Mission Raniganj’ actor expressed his support for the crew.

Also Read: Vashu Bhagnani addresses Pooja Entertainment layoff and salary rumors

Admiring Akshay’s offer to put his payment on hold until the people who worked behind the scenes are paid in full, Jackky said, “We are incredibly grateful for Akshay sir’s understanding and his willingness to stand with us during this time. The movie business hinges on strong relationships and that is the spirit we strive to foster in the industry.”

Following the outburst of Pooja Entertainment’s employees, word started circulating that the actors of the film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,’ produced by the banner, were also not paid their salaries. Sonakshi Sinha, Tiger Shroff, Alaya F, and Manushi Chhillar are yet to receive their fees for the film, which was released in April.

 

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Vashu Bhagnani, on the other hand, claimed in an interview that the situation is not as bad as it is being projected. He stated that the production house does not owe any dues to its employees and if that were the case, Vashu asked them to come forward instead of taking to social media. The producer also claimed that the banner is backing another upcoming project, which is being developed on a large scale.

The production house’s last project, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan,’ starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in lead roles, proved to be a failure at the box office. Ali Abbas Zafar’s directorial project was developed with a budget of around 300 crores, and the box office collection was only about 102 crores.