MUMBAI: Amidst news reports that many artists and crew have not been paid by Pooja Entertainment, a well-known production firm headed by Jackky Bhagnani and his father Vashu Bhagnani for its recently produced films, it has now come to light that Actor Akshay Kumar has stepped in to help the producer in this financial mess so that the staff and cast members can receive their rightful compensation. 

Akshay Kumar starred in the recently released film, 'Bade Miyan Chote Miya' an action thriller along with Tiger Shroff that was made on a budget of Rs 350 crore, but turned out to be a big flop, landing Pooja Entertainment in trouble and payments were stalled. The high-budget film also had actors like Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, and others besides a large crew and staff.

Jackky broke the news on the matter, revealing that Akshay Kumar has stepped in to help resolve the situation. In a press release given by Jackky he said of his gratitude towards Akshay Kumar who offered to have his dues from the film be put on hold until all other crew members were paid fully. According to the release Jackky said, "Akshay sir met me recently to discuss this matter; upon learning about this situation he didn't hesitate to step forward and show his support for the crew." In addition, he insisted that until every single member working on our projects has received their full payment they ought not be releasing any check concerning him.

Almost a fortnight ago, several crew members openly came forward accusing company founder Vashu Bhagnani of non-payment of dues. In a collaborative Instagram post, the victims described their ordeal. “Akshay sir met me recently to discuss this matter. Upon learning about this situation, Akshay sir didn’t hesitate to step forward and show his support for the crew. He has insisted that his payments be placed on hold until every single crew member working on our projects receives their full and final payment. We are incredibly grateful for Akshay sir’s understanding and his willingness to stand with us during this time. The movie business hinges on strong relationships and that is the spirit we strive to foster in the industry,” Jackky said in a statement.

According to media reports besides crew members film's other actors Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, Alaya F, and Manushi Chhillar were also awaiting their payments for the film, which was released in April. “Tiger Shroff too has not received his fees for the film. He has maintained his silence on the non-payment of his dues for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan but after learning that the crew and the support staff, who gave the film their all, have also not been paid, he wants the production house to clear the dues immediately.