Maatr Producer Anjum Rizvi Owes Us Lakhs, Protest Artistes Of Katha Remake

Raveena Tandon starrer Maatr is set to release this Friday. But did you know that the film’s producer Anjum Rizvi has not paid the cast and crew of his last project, the authorised remake of Katha?

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Maatr Producer Anjum Rizvi Owes Us Lakhs, Protest Artistes Of Katha Remake

Raveena Tandon's Maatr had run into trouble much before its release, courtesy producer Anjum Rizvi whose family owns a chain of Yoko restaurants.

maatr movie poster

Rizvi's last production, the remake of Sai Paranjpye’s ‘80s cult classic Katha, did not release. In such cases, the producer is still expected to clears the dues of his actors and technicians. Unfortunately, Rizvi did not seem to follow that procedure.

sai paranjpye


The film's supporting cast including Chiranjeet Chhabra,Sneha Raikar, Bharti Kumaria, Simran Gangwani and a child artiste (name withheld on request) appealed to CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes Association) for payment of their dues. "It maybe a small amount to Rizvi, but it is dignity of labour for us," they said. CINTAA sent a mail to the film's lead actress Raveena Tandon not to co-operate with the film's promotions but according to sources, she ignored it.

The development has disheartened the beleaguered supporting cast and crew of Katha remake, who feel that justice has been denied to them.

Here are the amounts which Rizvi owes to some of the supporting cast members:
Chiranjeet Chhabra – 40K
Child artiste who plays Chiranjeet’s son- 35K
Sneha Raikar - 60K
Bharti Kumaria - 40K
Simran Gangwani - 90K

And mind you, these are only a few who have been not paid and come on record with SpotboyE.com.

Most of them haven't received what they were promised. And it is painful as some of them are struggling actors and others are popular TV artistes who were hoping to get a profile with the film.

Not just them, the film's director Khalid Mohamed, who has the remake rights from the Katha producer Suresh Jindal has been short-changed and paid just a token amount for direction.

khalid mohamed

Speaking of the film’s rights, the original's director Sai Paranjpye too has still not got her payment for the sale of the creative rights. Rizvi  committed her a sum of Rs 5 lakh but has paid her only Rs 2 lakh till now. The veteran writer-director, who is 81 now, has however kept a dignified silence.


According to insiders, top-line filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rohit Shetty had sent  feelers to Jindal for obtaining the rights to remake Katha- but it was Khalid in the end who eventually beat them to the remake post.

The only person who seems to have had some respite is the film's financier Raju Shah. While a few days back, he moved court saying that Rizvi owes him Rs 2.4 Crore, he now tells us that he has finally received 1.5 Crore, and is "hoping" to get the balance amount as and when the movie finds a distributor to release worldwide.

With so many people being wronged, it's high time that CINTAA takes some action, and makes the defaulter, Anjum Rizvi, pay the dues to the beleagured artistes of the Katha remake. That he did not release the film is his problem, and not that of the artistes'.

Thumbnail Image Source: Images/ Magnet

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