A young actress from the Telugu film industry has taken legal action against a producer, alleging she was cheated out of her rightful payment. The 28-year-old artist, who worked as a lead actress in a film, filed a formal complaint with the Mumbai police, stating she is owed a significant sum of money.
The Promise and the Changing Hands of Production
The actress began shooting for the film back in 2021. According to her initial agreement with the producer, she was to be paid a total remuneration of Rs 19 lakh for her work as the lead. She received an initial payment of Rs 5 lakh when the project commenced. However, the production dynamics soon shifted.
In a twist, another media company took over the film's production. In September 2022, the actress entered into a new digital contract with this company. The film's title was also changed at this point. Under this fresh agreement, her fee was renegotiated to Rs 14 lakh, which was supposed to be paid in several installments.
Unpaid Dues and a Dishonoured Cheque
Despite the new contract, the actress claims she only received Rs 11 lakh from the media company. The situation became more complicated when the original producer regained control of the production. In July 2025, this producer contacted the actress via email, promising to clear the final dues.
He issued a post-dated cheque for Rs 2.5 lakh as the final settlement. However, when the actress attempted to deposit the cheque, it was dishonoured by the bank. The stated reason was that the signatures on the cheque did not match the bank's records.
Legal Repercussions and Police Investigation
After her repeated attempts to contact the producer for her pending payment failed, the actress decided to approach the authorities. She lodged a formal complaint at the Bangur Nagar Police station in Mumbai. In her complaint, she detailed that her total outstanding dues, including applicable GST, amount to Rs 2.9 lakh.
The police have taken the matter seriously and have registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on her allegations. An investigation is currently underway to probe the details of the case and the cheating charges levied against the film producer.
This incident highlights the recurring issue of payment disputes and financial exploitation within the Indian film industry, especially concerning actors and crew members who often struggle to recover their agreed-upon fees from powerful producers.
