‘Firoz hasn’t paid the remaining ₹2 crore for Welcome Back’
Bazmee says that Nadiadwala still owes him Rs. 2 crore for Welcome Back, which was released eight years ago
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; September 14, 2023)

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) recently appealed to the actors and technicians of producer Firoz Nadiadwala’s Welcome To The Jungle, the third instalment of the Welcome franchise, to not support the producer as he has not paid director Anees Bazmee his dues. Bazmee directed Firoz’s Welcome Back in 2015. The director reveals that the latter owes him Rs. 2 crores.

“Mera remuneration – Rs. 5 crores – woh reh gaya tha. The producer told me, ‘Anees bhai, thodi problem hai toh thoda consider karo’. I waived off Rs. 3 crores, and for the remaining Rs. 2 crores, he gave me a cheque. So, I involved the FWICE as I feared that the cheque would bounce, and it did.”

He adds, “The association has filed a case under Section 138 (provides for criminal provision regarding a cheque bounced due to insufficiency of funds.). They have said that there are a few other people whose dues are also pending, including actors and technicians. The FWICE has appealed to the cast and crew of Welcome To The Jungle to not co-operate with Firoz.”

It is almost eight years since Bazmee’s pending dues have not been cleared. The director says, “We were friends, which is why I waived off the money. I was upset that despite waiving off a huge amount, the cheque (for the balance amount) bounced. It is disheartening. And it is not like Welcome Back didn’t make good money.”

He continued, “When Firoz Nadiadwala wanted to start Welcome To The Jungle, he approached me to direct it. At that time, I asked him about my pending dues, to which he said, they would clear it and give me the signing amount, if I come on board to direct the third part of the Welcome franchise. I could not do the movie for certain reasons, which were not monetary.”
-------------------------------------
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 14, 2023)

Soon after the launch of its announcement video, the multi-starrer Welcome To The Jungle has landed in controversy. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has sent a letter to the film’s cast, makers and others associated with the project, to not start filming until producer Firoz A Nadiadwallah has cleared the pending dues of Anees Bazmee, the director of the previous instalment of the franchise.

Now, Bazmee exclusively tells us how the case has gone on for the past eight years. “I did Welcome Back with Firoz in 2015 and the production house did not pay Rs. 5 crores that remained from my remuneration. At the time of payment, he said, ‘We’ve suffered losses and won’t be able to pay you’. Later, they asked me to waive off a percentage,” he recalls.

Despite agreeing to waive off Rs. 3 crores, the filmmaker says he didn’t receive the remaining amount of Rs. 2 crores. “When I asked for it, Firoz said he would issue a cheque to me. Since the production house had delayed the payment a lot, the federation got involved and the cheque was made in their name. After all this, on the date of clearance, the cheque bounced,” says Bazmee, adding that nothing has come of the meetings he and the federation have held with Nadiadwallah.

“They wanted me to do Welcome 3. I asked them about my previous payment, and I was told, ‘Aap picture karo, hum aapki nayi, puraani, sab payment clear kar denge’,” says Bazmee, adding, however, that non-payment isn’t the reason he didn’t agree to direct Welcome to the Jungle.

FWICE President Birendra Nath Tiwari confirms the course of events. “When we asked Nadiadwallah about the cheque getting bounced, he said it had been signed by mistake and then stopped responding to us. We acted after the announcement of this new film, sending the letter to the film’s cast and the involved production house. If they don’t comply, we will issue a non-cooperation notice against them as well,” he shares, adding that the federation has now demanded that the producers pay Rs. 5 crores to Bazmee.

‘Firoz hasn’t paid the remaining ₹2 crore for Welcome Back’