Veteran Bollywood producer Vashu Bhagnani and his banner, Pooja Entertainment, are facing escalating legal and financial pressure. While Bhagnani is currently embroiled in a high-profile copyright battle against the makers of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai over the alleged unauthorized remakes of ‘Chunari Chunari’ and ‘Ishq Sona Hai’, an explosive new conflict is brewing behind the scenes with exhibition and distribution giant PVR Inox Ltd.
According to an exclusive report by Bollywood Hungama, PVR Inox Pictures is actively preparing to initiate formal legal proceedings against Pooja Entertainment to recover outstanding dues stemming from a failed multi-film theatrical agreement.
The Anatomy of the ₹100-Crore Three-Film Deal
The dispute traces back to a massive theatrical distribution pact signed between PVR Inox Pictures and Pooja Entertainment covering three high-budget tentpoles.
Under the explicit terms of the contract, PVR Inox Pictures advanced an estimated ₹100 crores as a refundable deposit to secure the theatrical distribution rights for Mission Raniganj, Ganapath, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The agreement stipulated that if the films underperformed commercially, Pooja Entertainment would be contractually obligated to refund the outstanding deficit to the distributor.
Following the disastrous box office trajectory of all three titles—which combined struggled to cross the ₹100 crore mark domestically—PVR Inox Pictures initiated recovery protocols. Unofficial trade sources indicate that the current principal amount outstanding is hovering around ₹50 crores, a figure that continues to compound.
Inside the Failed Settlement Negotiations
Insiders reveal that the distribution house has spent months aggressively following up with the Bhagnanis to secure a financial settlement, but those efforts yielded little success. Desperate to resolve the impasse outside of court, the producers reportedly put forward a property-backed counteroffer.
The Bhagnanis allegedly offered to transfer the ownership of two to three luxury apartments in Mumbai to PVR Inox to clear the ledger. PVR Inox reportedly turned down the proposal after independent audits revealed the market value of the flats fell significantly short of the outstanding claim. The dispute is no longer just about the principal debt. Because the recovery timeline has stretched, the accrued interest on the capital has ballooned, rendering a simple real estate trade mathematically unviable for the corporation.
