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The row between producer Vashu Bhagnani and filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar over alleged financial misconduct during the shooting of Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' has escalated.
On Monday, Vashu Bhagnani levelled fresh allegations of running a Benami company and money laundering against Ali Abbas Zafar, who is best known for making movies such as 'Sultan' and 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. He pointed to a company named Jolly Jumper Films LLC, which he claims is registered as a benami entity in Abu Dhabi but allegedly operated from Andheri, Mumbai. Bhagnani further accused Zafar of using this company as a vehicle for large-scale money laundering operations. "See, basically, Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra run two companies called AAZ Films. We collaborated on a film, where my role was to provide the capital, while they were responsible for production and direction," Bhagnani told ANI over video call. "It was mutually agreed how much the film would be made for, and I had no interference in their work. The entire industry knows this. Wherever they suggested shooting, we went--be it London or India. Later, I came to know they also have a company in Abu Dhabi called Jolly Jumper, which is associated with Ali Abbas Zafar. Initially, I thought it was one of their group companies. But only two months ago, I discovered that this company is actually registered under the name of his assistant and is being run anonymously," Bhagnani alleged. "There is a far bigger financial conspiracy at play. I have reasons to believe that Jolly Jumper Films LLC is being misused for illegal transactions," Bhagnani added. Bhagnani claimed the film's budget was inflated by nearly Rs 80 crore, with subsidies misused and accounts left unsettled despite repeated requests. "On paper, the film went nearly Rs 70-80 crore over budget. We tried to cut costs by negotiating with actors to accept Rs 7-8 crore instead of 10 crore but even then, the accounts were never settled. Despite repeated requests for almost 11 months, their accountant has refused to provide final statements. Instead, they have been spreading in the market that they were never the producers, only the directors," he alleged. Bhagnani mentioned that a complaint filed by him resulted in an FIR at Bandra police station, but he is also now planning to approach Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Economic Offence Wing (EOW). "I am now planning to write to the ED, EOW and CBI. Recovering the money is not the priority. I just want the truth to be exposed so no other producer suffers like this," he said. Ali Abbas Zafar is yet to respond to these fresh allegations levelled against him by Vashu Bhagnani. 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' was released in theatres in April 2024. The film was shot across Mumbai, London, UAE, and Jordan. (ANI)
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