Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 3, 2017)

Filmmaker Anees Bazmee refuted claims that he denied comedian Sunil Pal Rs 51,000, after the latter allegedly pulled up the director for non-payment of dues for a show he apparently performed. “Neither did I promise him any work nor ask him to perform at any function,” Bazmee told mid-day, alluding to Pal’s assertion that the director hired him for a friend’s family function. “The function that he is referring to was not my friend’s. He landed up there claiming to know me and my partner Mayur Barot, got drunk, and did not give any performance. Where does the question of payment come from,” he questions, acknowledging that he knows the comedian, given that he’d often arrive at his office requesting for work.

Pal took to social networking platform Facebook to release a three-minute video accusing Bazmee of non- payment of fees, further asserting that he was promised a role in the director’s recent release, Mubarakan, but was never given one.

However, Barot refuted these claims too. “Only because Anees bhai’s movie is doing well, Sunil is trying to gain publicity. Where was he for so long? It is unethical on his part to accuse us on a public platform.”