Several technicians and crew working for directors Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao have claimed that the couple has not paid them for their work on the upcoming film Yaariyaan 2. Sources at Naigaon Police Station have confirmed that they have got a complaint from a man named Sumitkumar Mishra, who has alleged that people like him who worked as technicians and workers have not been paid for almost a year. He has alleged that the director duo now avoid even talking about payments.
Villagers await payments
The filmmakers have also not paid locals at a Versova village whose boats they hired for the shoot. According to Raju Kathin, one of the fishermen, 12 to 13 people are awaiting payments.
“They rented four of our boats and used 13 people for their shoot. When we asked for money, they denied even meeting us. We are owed lakhs of rupees at this point. We are waiting for the man who connected us to Sapru and Rao. Once that happens, we will go to Versova police to register a complaint,” Kathin said.
Matter to be dealt with by courts
Meanwhile, according to Naigaon police, the matter is a civil issue, which means it will be dealt with by the courts. The police did try to contact Sapru and Rao, but they did not respond to any calls or messages, an official said. “We have summoned them to be present at our police station on June 5. We will take it forward from there,” the official said.
The Free Press Journal contacted Sapru to know his side of the story. He told FPJ that he would call back, but did not do so. Meanwhile, Rao, when contacted said: “I really can’t talk about it.” Yaariyan 2 is produced under the banner of T-Series and will be released on October 20.
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