Vikram Bhatt Has NOT cleared payments of cast, crew of 1920 film? Casting director Parag Chadha says, ‘It is the dark reality of movie industry’

Vikram Bhatt Has NOT cleared payments of cast, crew of 1920 film? Casting director Parag Chadha says, ‘It is the dark reality of movie industry’

• Vikram Bhatt and wife denied bail in Rs 30 crore cheating case
• Casting director Parag Chadha alleges unpaid dues for 1920: Horrors of the Heart
• Social media outrage grows over unpaid cast and crew in Bhatt's film

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Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt will continue to remain in judicial custody after the Rajasthan High Court refused to grant them bail in the Rs 30 crore cheating and criminal breach of trust case. As the legal trouble deepens, a fresh and troubling allegation has surfaced, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the filmmaker.

Casting director Parag Chadha has publicly accused Vikram Bhatt and his team of failing to clear dues owed to the cast and crew of the 2023 film 1920: Horrors of the Heart.

Parag Chadha, who has worked on prominent Bollywood films such as Ek Tha Tiger, Band Baaja Baaraat and Rabba Main Kya Karoon, took to Instagram to share screenshots of conversations that he claims show years of unanswered follow-ups regarding unpaid casting fees.

In his post, Parag Chadha directly named producer Vikram Bhatt and director Krishna Bhatt, alleging that despite repeated assurances, payments were never released. The film, starring Avika Gor, was released in June 2023, and according to Chadha, the team was told that casting fees would be settled after the film’s theatrical run.

“The film was released in June 2023, and we were assured that our casting fees would be paid after the release. We remained patient, trusting fully in the stature of the filmmakers we were working with,” Chadha wrote in his note.

However, the casting director claimed that patience eventually turned into frustration as months stretched into years without any resolution. He further alleged that as of February 2026, the dues remain unpaid.

“In February 2026, our entire payment still remains unsettled. The only response over the last few years has been ‘we don’t have funds’. Multiple cast and crew from the film remain unpaid,” Chadha stated, adding that he had exhausted all private channels before making the issue public.

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The screenshots shared by Chadha reportedly show repeated messages sent to members of Bhatt’s team, seeking clarity on pending payments. Calling it the “dark reality of the movie industry,” he said the decision to go public came after reaching his “limits” following years of silence.

The allegations have sparked sharp reactions online, with several social media users expressing anger over technicians and artists allegedly being denied payment for their work. Many questioned how such disputes persist even after a film’s release and box office run.

Meanwhile, Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt remain in custody in connection with the Rs 30 crore fraud case filed by businessman Ajay Murdia, who has accused the couple of cheating him under the guise of film production. With new claims now emerging from within the film industry itself, the controversy surrounding the filmmaker appears far from over.