'Laapataa Ladies' actor Satendra Soni assaulted over non-payment of dues, breaks down in viral video: Decoding the controversy

'Laapataa Ladies' actor Satendra Soni has gone viral on social media but for the wrong reasons and it has to do with an upcoming film he was doing. He has shared two videos on Instagram so far. The first video talks about his shocking allegations against the director he was working with. And the second about his safe return to Mumbai from the shoot.

In the first video, Soni revealed, "My name is Satindra Soni. I am an actor. I had come here to shoot a film, whose director is Pushpendra Singh. He had given me Rs 50,000 signing amount, and he told me that after this that we will pay you after the shoot. We have completed eight days of shoot today and when I spoke to him about the money, he asked me to pack up and told me 'I better not see you in the hotel.' He is threatening to kill me."

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In the second video, the actor shared, "Hello, my name is Satendra Soni. I am accompanied by Shridhar Dubey and Pankaj Sharma. We have arrived safely in Mumbai. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Maihar police; they provided immense support. Special thanks to Anuvesh Dwivedi and Hemant Pandey."

Soni further revealed, "We were deeply shaken mentally. It was crucial at that time for someone to talk to us or at least keep offering encouragement. Amit Rai Sir and Parag Chapekar Sir provided immense support. Anil Sharda ji—a journalist—was very supportive, as were our fellow theatre artists like Annapurna Soni, Durgesh Soni, and Raksha."

AICWA backs the actor

The name of the film in question is Ped Palki. And the All Indian Cine Workers Association has urged the committee to file a FIR against the makers for threatening the actor.

"The emotional video shared by Satendra Soni reflects the pain and distress he says he has endured. His allegations raise serious concerns about the treatment of artists and workers in the Indian film industry. No artist or worker should have to endure such treatment," the association said.