A magistrate court at Bandra in Bombay has ordered the police to file a case against director-producer Ali Abbas Zafar and his associates, Himanshu Mehra (producer-partner) and Ekesh Randive, following a complaint filed by producer Vashu Bhagnani.
Vashu Bhagnani has accused the trio of cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery in connection with the production of his film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The producer alleges that Zafar and his associates inflated production costs and submitted forged documents, causing significant financial loss. The police have been instructed to investigate the matter under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The fallout between Bhagnani and Ali Abbas Zafar happened when the film did not become a hit which they had expected it to be but rather turned out to be a debacle. The pain point for Vashu seems to be that the film went over-budget but the fact remains that the funds were sanctioned by Vashu himself. It may be noted that the issue of the film going over-budget was not raised before the film hit the screens earlier this year. Another troubling point for Bhagnani is that the FWICE has been after him for non-clearance of dues (related to the same film) of members of its affiliated associations.