Mumbai: Hairstylist to sue Vikram Bhatt over Rs 3 lakh unpaid dues

Khanna's counsel Deshmukh said, "All of this is being done so that my client losses his legal remedy to file a criminal complaint at the magistrate court under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act."

Hairstylist and make-up artist to the stars, Rishab Khanna, on August 6 sent a six-page legal notice to Bollywood director and producer Vikram Bhatt and his Lokhandwala-based company LoneRanger Productions Private Limited over unpaid dues for work he has done in Bhatt's upcoming projects. He is now mulling suing Bhatt. The notice, sent by Khanna's counsel Ali Kaashif Khan, reads, "My client states that it has been a year-and-a-half since he rendered his services towards you and your projects but you have blatantly failed to pay the full and final payment to my client, keeping Rs.24 lakh still pending."

Khanna told mid-day that he had been associated with Bhatt's film projects since January 2017, "After following him for several months, I was issued a cheque for R2 lakh in June and asked to deposit it in the bank on July 31. The day I deposited it, Bhatt's office requested me to wait for a few days. But I had already deposited it. The cheque bounced due to insufficient funds. This is harassment. He does not intend to pay me for my work," he added. The notice seems to have worked, in part. "After I sent the notice, they deposited R2 lakh in my account through NEFT, but R3.24 lakh is still pending," added Khanna.

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'Don't hire him'

Bhatt told mid-day that no contract had been signed with Khanna, "I would suggest that people from the film industry not hire Khanna as he is the most unprofessional hairstylist I have ever seen. Just to stave off GST, Khanna has not sent us any invoice and yet we have paid him for the work done. He has worked on many projects with us, but has now started showing his unprofessional side."

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Director of LoneRanger productions, Amar Thakkar said, "Khanna had brought his boyfriend to London where they stayed together at our company's cost, but we never objected to it. Also, Khanna returned to India midway. We then had to hire a London-based hairstylist to complete our project. We have already paid him for his services," said Thakkar, adding, "We had requested him to wait for a few days to deposit the cheque as the funds in the account were insufficient. But he still went ahead and deposited it."

Moving court

Khanna's counsel Ali Kaashif Khan said, "All of this is being done so that my client losses his legal remedy to file a criminal complaint at the magistrate court under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act."

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