Bollywood Trade Union Backs Satendra Soni, Seeks FIR Against ‘Ped Palki’ Makers Over Shocking Allegations
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The appeal comes after Soni — known for his performances in Laapataa Ladies, Mirzapur, Doctor G, Bawaal, Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders and Hello Bachhon — shared an emotional video on social media claiming that he and several other artistes were denied their agreed remuneration and threatened when they sought payment. Describing the matter as one of serious concern, the association urged the Madhya Pradesh government to take immediate cognisance of the allegations.
Backing the actor, AICWA issued a statement on X expressing concern over the allegations and the wider treatment of workers in the film industry.
“The emotional video shared by Satendra Soni reflects the pain and distress he says he has endured. His allegations raise serious concerns about the treatment of artists and workers in the Indian film industry. No artist or worker should have to endure such treatment,” the body said.
“Many workers and artists allege that they are called for film shoots with promises of work, but later face delays or denial of payment and are allegedly subjected to intimidation when they demand their rightful dues. Such complaints deserve serious attention. By publicly sharing his emotional video, Satendra Soni has brought these concerns into the public domain and highlighted the hardships that artists and workers may face,” AICWA added.
The association stressed that this is “not a minor matter” and urged the Government of Madhya Pradesh to ensure a fair and impartial investigation. It also appealed to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to direct the police to register an FIR against the producer and director based on Soni’s allegations, and to ensure the safety and security of film workers and artists in the state. The body further stated that every worker and artist deserves dignity, timely payment for their work, and protection from any form of intimidation.
Recalling what happened during the shoot, Soni said, “I came to Maihar to work on a film directed by Pushpendra Singh called Ped Palki. He gave us Rs 50,000 as a signing amount and told us the remaining payment would be made during the shoot. It’s been eight days since filming began, and when we asked him for the money, he told us to pack our bags and leave the hotel. He even threatened to kill us.”
The actor also claimed that the film’s heroine — the director’s wife, Pragati Chauhan — scolded him and hurled abuses at him, and that two other artistes, Shreedhar Dubey and Pankaj Sharma, left with him in fear. Soni said he had been hired for a 10-day schedule but was asked to leave the project after eight days. He and two colleagues later returned to Mumbai safely.
At the time of writing, the makers of Ped Palki had not publicly responded to the allegations.
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