Laapataa Ladies actor Satendra Soni has filed a police complaint against filmmaker Pushpendra Singh and his wife, actor Pragati Chauhan, following an alleged dispute over non-payment and mistreatment on set during the shoot of their film Paid Paalki.
Soni accused the duo of promising him a role in the film but not fulfilling their financial commitments. He further alleged that they harassed him over his appearance and dwarfism, which took a toll on his mental, physical and financial well-being.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has come out in support of Soni and actor Shreedhar Dubey, whose name was also mentioned in the association's statement concerning the alleged incident.
According to the complaint cited by The Indian Express, Soni identified himself as a struggling actor who depends entirely on acting for his livelihood. He also stated that he has dwarfism.
Soni alleged that he first met filmmaker Pushpendra Singh around one-and-a-half years ago, when Singh offered him a role in a project titled Shubh Sandesh. However, the film was eventually shelved. He claimed that Singh contacted him again on April 1, 2026, informing him that the project had been renamed Paid Paalki and was set to go on floors.
As per Soni's complaint, he was finalised for the film at a remuneration of Rs 30,000 per day and total payment fixed at Rs 3 lakh. He allegedly received Rs 50,000 as an advance and was told that the remaining amount would be paid in installments during the shoot.
Soni claimed that payment issues began after he reached the shooting location in Madhya Pradesh. He also alleged that the set did not have adequate facilities, claiming there was initially no vanity van for the actors and that the one arranged later had to be shared by the entire cast. He further alleged that sanitation arrangements were poor and that stale food was served to the crew.
Soni further alleged that he was mocked over his appearance and dwarfism while working on the film. According to his complaint, some locals at the shooting location would lift him up and take pictures with him without seeking his permission. He claimed that the production team failed to take adequate steps to ensure his safety.
Soni alleged that he raised objections to the behaviour but that his concerns were not addressed. He claimed that Raja Chaudhary, an assistant director who was his point of contact on the project, later discussed the matter with Pragati Chauhan.
According to Soni's allegations, Chauhan then abused him and refused to release his pending payment. “She called me a dwarf, abused me and refused to make my payment,” he said.
The actor further alleged that the incident triggered a panic attack. “I was shivering, but nobody came to help me. There were no medical facilities available. The food was stale,” he added.
Soni said he wanted to take up the matter directly with Pushpendra, who eventually called him but allegedly warned him of consequences if he chose not to complete the film. The actor also accused Pragati of threatening to kill him. He claimed that when he and the film's lead actor, Shridhar Dubey, decided to walk away from the project, the couple allegedly assaulted them.
As per Soni's complaint, Pushpendra also allegedly threatened to die by suicide and name the actors in his suicide note. Pragati threatened to implicate them in false legal cases.
When the actors finally contacted the police, the couple requested them not to stop the shoot, arguing that halting production would leave several people associated with the film without work.
According to Soni, the police advised both parties to resolve the matter, while the actors maintained that they would return to the shoot only after receiving their pending payments. However, he claimed that no settlement was reached.
Soni has also alleged that the couple collected money from several people while promising to make a film and claimed that they had been involved in similar incidents in the past. These allegations have not been independently verified. Soni and the other actors eventually returned to Mumbai under police protection, following which a Zero FIR was registered.
