Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 18, 2017)

As Dhanush and Kajol starrer VIP2 hits the screens today, producer-director Soundarya Rajinikanth finds herself in trouble. The dialogue writers of Lalkar, the Hindi version of the film, are crying foul over non-payment of dues. Aanand and Swati Goradiya, who came on board as dialogue writers in June-end, claim that they have been seeking their remuneration for the past one-and-a-half month, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Says Aanand, "Before we came on board, another writer had done a literal translation of the dialogues from Tamil to Hindi. We were approached towards the end of June. We were told that Kajol was unhappy with the Hindi dialogues, she felt they lacked punch. So the makers decided to approach us."

The writer couple claims that they had completed the dialogues in four days flat. They further add that since July, they have been sending repeated reminders to the producers but they have all come to naught. "We were given a signing amount at the start. Since mid-July, we have been asking for the balance amount, but all we get are excuses. First, they claimed that the strike in the South film industry had severely affected them. Then, they claimed that the film's release was postponed, which again was a cause of tension for them." He adds, "I do not think we have even been credited in the Hindi version."

When contacted, the film's spokesperson says, "As Soundarya and team were tied up with the film's promotions, the payment got delayed. It's a human error, which will be rectified soon. There was no mail or statement sent to the producers regarding the dues. The writers are trying to gain mileage."