Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged cheating
Azam Khan-the most wanted Khan in Bollywood
Jun 23rd
He’s no star, he’s not made any blockbuster, so why is half the industry chasing Azam Khan? Here’s the reason
Mauli Singh and Saumit Singh (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 23, 2010)
A Bollywood Quiz question: Who is the most sought-after Khan in the industry today? If your answer is Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, or Salman Khan, sorry you have got it wrong. The name is Azam Khan. And this Khan, mind you, is being chased by Bollywood for all the wrong reasons.
Khan, a former executive director of K Sera Sera and the brain behind One More Thought Entertainment, which helmed such ambitious projects as Vinay Pathak-starrer Dasvidaniya, Khalbali Fun Unlimited and Phoonk, allegedly owes over Rs 20 crore to people across the industry.
Mirror has learnt that he owes money to so many people and organisations that now there is list of his creditors that almost everybody in Bollywood readily recognises. At the last count, this list had 123 entries.
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| Azam Khan in blue with Pervez Damania, Vinay Pathak and Shashant Shah; (below right) the Q7 Audi Khan drives despite his debts |
There are more than 20 cases of bounced cheques, misappropriation of funds and cheating filed against Khan in various courts of Mumbai. He owes money to film trade magazines, dubbing studios, poster and vinyl printers, camera hire outfits, even laundrywallahs and caterers. Several well known Bollywood outfits like K Sera Sera, YT Entertainment, Celebrities Management, and Nine Winds Media, too have payments stuck with Khan.
And that’s just Bollywood. Khan has a big casualty to his credit in construction business too. Nilufar Damania, businessman Parvez Damania’s sister-in-law and late Vispy Damania’s wife, who was on the board of Sonata Realty Private Limited with Khan, has filed a complaint at the Oshiwara police station accusing Khan of cheating and forgery of valuable securities.
The funniest story going around Bollywood is how Khan hops around the town in some of the most expensive cars - an Audi Q7 and a Merc S Class - while his cheques bounce all over the place “for lack of funds in his accounts.”
He also maintains a large office on Veera Desai Road and owns a plush 17th-floor apartment in Windermere, Oshiwara. The nameplate of the house carries his wife’s name.
But before we get into Khan’s extravagant lifetsyle and the misery of his victims, a little bit about the man’s past.
King khon
Barely two years ago, Azam Khan was one of the most sought after men, in the usual positive sense of the term, in the film industry. He had just started his own production house, One More Thought Entertainment, and his spanking new office in Andheri was a beehive of activity.
At a glittering launch party, Khan paraded nine well known directors who had signed up for the fledgling production house.
These included Jagmohan Mundra, Kundan Shah, Sangeeth Sivan, Ajay Chandok, Ravi Rai and Ashwini Chaudhary. “We are determined to provide a canvas to these directors who are brimming with unique ideas, stories and new concepts. We intend to produce twelve movies in two years,” Khan told the gathering.
Everybody believed him and not without reason - at K Sera Sera, Khan had overseen a number of major films like Sarkar, D Company, Risk, Darna Mana Hai, Ek Haseena Thi and Ab Tak Chappan. But Khan’s time at K Sera Sera now seems like another era.
One More Thought Entertainment’s first film to be released was the Marathi language Tingya. This was followed by a joint production called Dasvidaniya starring Vinay Pathak and then Phoonk, directed by Khan’s old friend Ram Gopal Varma, released.
However, things went quickly downhill for him thereon.
Except for Tingya, which was a ready-made Ravi Rai film that One More Thought merely presented, almost all other films got embroiled in bitter disputes because of non payment of dues.
Ajay Chandok-directed comedy Khalbali Fun Unlimited; and My Name is 340, another One More Thought production, could not be released depite being almost ready.
When we contacted, Vinay Pathak, who co-produced and acted in Dasvidaniya, he said: “What can I say about a man who has duped us of our money and deprived us of our first film as producers? We don’t have even a print to show for it. He is completely unreachable for any kind of negotiation.”
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| Windermere (r) at Oshiwara where Azam Khan (l) lives on the 17 floor; poster of Dasvidaniya, one of the films Khan’s One More Thought Entertainment produced |
Shashant Shah, the director of Dasvidaniya, sounded equally frustrated. “Forget about the profit, he still has to pay us 50 per cent of the cost. He owes us around Rs 1.3 crore. He hasn’t paid the professional fees to my writer, music director, editor, cameraman, including me and Vinay Pathak. Even spot boys haven’t got paid.”
While at one point Khan offered to pay Shah Rs 30 lakh, the cheques that were issued bounced. Shah said he does not mind the losses. “But I want my film back. The rights for Dasvidaniya are still with him.”
Kailash Kher, who scored the music for Dasvidaniya is waiting for a payment of around Rs 15 lakh. “I sent a legal notice to him. He verbally promised to pay my dues, but never did. He is a smart guy. He didn’t let my cheque bounce but stopped the payment saying there wasn’t enough money in his bank account. I wonder how he can afford to move around in expensive cars if he doesn’t have any money to pay us.”
Khalbali Fun Unlimited was abandoned with just three more days of shooting to go. Payments to everyone associated with the film, right from the artistes to technicians to the direction crew, are pending.
With cases now escalated to the High Court, a substantial number of litigants have all but given up hope.
Raju Shah of YT Entertainment, who presented several of One More Thought productions, is a distraught man. “In order to recover my Rs 7 crore, I have already spent around Rs 50 lakh in lawyers’ fees, stamps duties and court fee. I am very depressed and my family is also very disturbed. We are suffering a lot,” he said.
Close shave
On at least one occasion, Khan came close to landing in jail. On the night of May 24, he was traced to a suburban five-star hotel by the Rajasthan police who wanted to arrest him.
They were acting on a complaint filed by K Sera Sera against Khan in Ganganagar. “We helped Rajasthan police track him. But when we went to arrest him at the hotel, he produced a transit bail,” said API Desai of Santacruz Airport police station.
Sanjay Lai, the MD of K Sera Sera, refused to reveal the money Khan owes to the company. “We have filed a case against him in the High Court. We are in the process of recovering the money.”
After days of efforts, Mumbai Mirror caught up with Azam Khan at his spacious office which once housed One More Thought Entertainment.
It is now the office of Ionic Realty, another construction firm in which Khan has an interest. Not a sign of One More Thought Entertainment remains – the company has officially submitted a winding up petition.
“Yes, there are cases against me, but a cheque being dishonoured does not necessarily mean I don’t intend to pay. I don’t dispute that I owe people money, but in several instances, they have failed to deliver the service required of them so I stopped payment on the post-dated cheques I had issued them,” said Khan.
Only some of the bigger companies One More Thought owes money to can take the matter to its logical conclusion. The others have been left with, well, a thought to ponder.
Shraddha Sharma breaks off with Raja Chowdhury
Mar 10th
Shraddha Sharma and Raja Chowdhury have called off their relationship
By Kunal M Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 10, 2010)
Controversial actor Raja Chowdhury and item girl Shraddha Sharma have broken up.
Both of them had been going steady for nearly a year now and were even supposed to get engaged by the end of this month, but things went kaput after Shraddha found Raja cheating on her with two girls. His escapades were caught on camera by the team of a reality show.
When contacted Shraddha Sharma said, “This is shocking for me. It’s all over between us. He is constantly calling me but I don’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.
Many of my friends warned me about getting into a relationship with him, but he always showed how caring and nice he was. He called me and told me that he was under the influence of alcohol but that’s no explanation.”
Speaking about dealing with the trauma Shraddha said, “I guess everything happens at the right time. I am busy doing films down South. One of my films Jeeva has just released and I am shooting for one more film Jaye Ho. I am also doing a couple of reality shows, so life is busy – it will divert my attention from all this.”
Koena livid over her name used to sell tickets for a fake show
Dec 19th
By TUSHAR JOSHI (Mid-Day; December 18, 2009)
Koena Mitra was in for a rude shock when someone informed her she was attending an event in Pune on December 19. The actress was puzzled to find her name prominently featured in a Pune newspaper announcing her presence at an event called Toss.
Not approached or in talks
A friend close to the actress says, “Koena was shocked to see an ad in the Pune newspaper and also on some websites announcing her presence at an event named Toss. She was neither approached, nor was in talks with anyone for such a show. After making a few phone calls, it was evident that a local person named Priya Kakre had used her name to make easy money.”
A thousand victims already
The actress found out that the organiser already sold around 1000 passes costing 500 bucks each. “By using her name, the organisers fooled people into believing that she was performing at the show. They made a quick buck on her name. When we tried to get in touch with Priya she kept giving weird excuses saying she was conned into this by someone else.”
Strong reactions
Reacting to the incident Koena says, “I am shocked and surprised how people can even think about even making a quick buck like this. Cheating people out of their hard earned money is disgusting. I urge people to be wary of such con artists during this festive season.”
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| The ad, which Koena Mitra insists is for a fake event, featured in a Pune newspaper |
Tanushree Dutta’s name is also featured in the ad. She reacts, “I am not a part of this event, neither was I approached for it. This definitely sounds like a scam or an easy way to fool people and make money. I think its sad that someone’s name is used to get publicity and con people who will look forward to watch you perform.”
Sayali Bhagat’s name features in the ad as well. When asked for her reaction, she says, “This is a scam. I heard about it from someone and was shocked that my name is mentioned in the ad. I have been shooting a film for the last three months and no-one else has my dates. Also, if it is an event, I should have been paid and I haven’t been paid.”
Madhur Bhandarkar-a victim?
Nov 19th
Madhur Bhandarkar
Is Madhur Bhandarkar a victim of the country’s rape laws?
TEAM BT Times News Network (November 19, 2009)
Poor Madhur Bhandarkar. The Bollywood filmmaker, who’s just had a critically acclaimed release in Jail, finds himself in the dock once again for rape charges by aspiring actress Preeti Jain dating back to July 2004. Fortunately, the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate who rejected the Versova Police’s adverse report of the charges from back then and decided to conduct an inquiry into the case, has not ordered Bhandarkar’s arrest. The flamboyant filmmaker is not unduly worried by this development. “But my family is going through trauma,” he admitted to BT. It is a bittersweet moment for him. The news comes at a time when he is in Egypt attending the Cairo International Film Festival where five of his films — Chandni Bar, Traffic Signal, Page 3, Corporate and Fashion — are being screened as a tribute to Indian cinema. “My films reflect society and are liked by the classes and masses,” said Madhur, “I’ve got name and fame after a struggle, and I request society not to make a judgement until the case is over, so please don’t give me a trial in the media, I have faith in the judiciary.” But, the question uppermost in people’s minds is this: is Madhur a victim of the country’s rape laws? The filmmaker, naturally, thinks so. “It also amounts to blackmail,” he alleged of this sordid bit of dirty linen that was washed in public by the starlet.
Facts of the case
In July 2004, Preeti had lodged a complaint with the Versova Police against Madhur alleging he had raped her 16 times between 1999 and 2004 under the pretext of casting her as actress in his films. Madhur insists the complaint was of “cheating” and did not mention rape.
Our View: Irrespective of what relationship they shared, how can what happened between Madhur and Preeti amount to rape? She claims she was raped 16 times in four years, which is not like saying several times in one night. If this was rape, what prevented her from going to the police after the first incident? Why wait four years? And what prompted the complaint? Was it outrage, jealousy, indignation, a burning desire to teach the man a lesson? If Madhur had promised to cast her in his films, and if he had honoured this alleged commitment, would their alleged sex still be rape? The humiliation, the hurt, the abuse of body and soul that is caused by rape, is as much the 16th time as it would be the first… and any woman suffering this exploitation for four years and then crying rape, sounds like she’s complaining against rejection. Not the sexual act itself.
What is Rape?
The dictionary defines it as “the unlawful compelling of a woman through physical force or duress to have sexual intercourse; and the act of sexual intercourse that is forced upon a person”. The Supreme Court’s expansive interpretation of rape in recent years has been to stretch the ambit to include consensual sex based on ‘‘false promise to marry’’. What was clearly never in its contemplation was to bring the casting couch — promise to give work in exchange of sex — under the definition of rape. Even if Preeti’s allegations are taken at face value, it is debatable whether they constitute prima facie evidence to try Madhur on the charge of rape. The allegation, if a promise was made and broken, is a case of fraud. But when sex is involved, courts tend to treat it as a case of rape. Sex by deceit. The opening made by the Supreme Court to provide relief to those who had been deceived into having sex on false promise to marry cannot be pushed further for the sake of those who claim to have been deceived similarly by false promise to give work.
Our view
The idea that sexual intercourse between a man and a woman can occur only if they intend to marry clearly has no place in a liberal society. Also, if the woman gets into a physical relationship because she has been fooled into believing that marriage is on the cards, we may question the morality of the man, but is it not extreme to equate his deception with rape? We would suggest that it is time the law adopted a more nuanced approach to what is universally acknowledged to be a complex issue. Having a breach of promise law to deal with such cases would be more suitable than clubbing it with rape, which is an extremely violent offence.
Is having sex for work any different from prostitution?
This does not come under deception and so on or being conned on the basis of a false promise of marriage, etc. In the case of the casting couch, the lady gives consent as she has been promised something and if she is able to prove that she was deceived into giving her consent then it does attract the provisions of the law… but this, of course, is quite difficult to prove.
— M N Singh,
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner
The starlet cannot say it’s rape. She can call it cheating. She cannot say that “I had sex with him because he promised me work.” This kind of deal is anyway not legal. She had no business to sell herself for a role. If she had alleged (and could prove) that the filmmaker agreed to marry her, then this would have been worth considering. But as it is, she has no case here. If she was a commercial call girl, then this would perhaps fall into the category of prostitution.
— Majeed Memon,
Criminal Lawyer
