Ameesha Patel, Sunny Leone’s team respond to non-payment of dues issue; IMPPA says if they fail to pay the amount or appear, non-cooperation will be issued

Actors Ameesha Patel and Sunny Leone were summoned on July 25 by the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) on an issue of non-payment of dues. The actors failed to appear and IMPPA has given them seven days to repay the entire amount. While Ameesha had taken ₹65 lakh from producer Haresh Patel and Sunny was paid ₹21 lakh by producer Vinod Bachchan for a movie.

However, the actors’ team has now responded in the matter. Telling us exclusively, spokesperson from Leone’s legal team said, “With highest regards for IMPPA and the association, we want to clarify that this is miscommunication and that we had informed them of the postponement with proof that for the last six months it was postponed by IMPPA. And this time for the first time, we postponed it and notified them due to our prior schedule.”

It further states, “It is important to reiterate that we have a lot of respect for IMPPA and are more than happy to resolve this at anytime and also we have all the documentation that is required to prove that we are not at fault and are more than happy to do so.”

Kunal Ghoomer, Ameesha Patel’s representative, who has also been named in the matter, however said there is no truth in the news. “I don’t think she is interested in scandalous, non-sensical news. These are all rubbish stories. I don’t even know what IMPPA is and what they do in Bollywood other than making a news. I also saw the news yesterday and these are false allegations,” he tells us exclusively.

While it’s been seven years since Patel gave the money, he tells us that delay was because he was trying to sort things amicably. “I did not want to take the legal route and was trying to solve the matter amicably. Moreover, they (Ameesha and Kunal) were asking for more time and told me that she was going though a tough time. I even asked to pay me back in instalment. Later, when I met Kunal Ghoomer, he gave me a commitment and signed a letter that by 2022 March, they will clear all the dues. However, I was blocked by them. Kunal in fact misbehaved with me,” shares the producer, who besides lodging a complaint in IMPPA has also filed criminal charges against Ameesha in Gujarat, the place he comes from.

Vinod Bachchan on the other hand shares that “Ye case kaafi time se chal raha hai but wo aa nahi rahe meeting me. They have now been given the last warning. Bahut baar humne try kara hai.”

If the actors fail to appear before IMPPA or pay back the entire amound, Abhay Kumar Sinha, President of IMPPA shares that the body will issue “non-cooperation.” He adds, “The decision will be made in favour of the producers and the actors will not be allowed to shoot anywhere as per IMPPA laws.”

Ask him if they have contacted the actors and what’s the response they have received, he shares, “Sunny Leone’s husband responded to our query and sent a main saying that they have already given back 18 lakhs out of 21 lakhs. We have asked for details about the transfer. Mail we have got from Ameesha Patel’s team says that their legal team will talk to us.”