All Indian Cine Workers Association urges Madhya Pradesh CM to file FIR on director over allegations of Satendra Soni

Satendra Soni, star of Aamir Khan's Laapataa Ladies, alleged that he was threatened when he asked for his payment for a new project.

Satendra Soni, who played a pivotal role in Aamir Khan's Laapataa Ladies, took to social media to share his distressing situation where he was threatened to be beaten after he asked for his due payment on a film set. The actor broke down in tears, adding how was denied payment for shooting a film in Madhya Pradesh. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has now taken note of the actor's situation and penned a note to address on their official X account.

Laapataa Ladies actor Satendra Soni made a video sharing his plight.

What the AICWA said

They began the note by saying: “Actor Satendra Soni, who appeared in Laapataa Ladies, has publicly alleged that he was called to Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, for a film shoot. According to him, despite working for 8 days, he was not paid his agreed remuneration. He stated that he received only an advance of ₹50,000 and further alleged that he was threatened by the film’s producer and director. 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 note further read, “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.”

‘Every worker and artist deserves dignity’

Urging immediate action, the film worker's body noted, "This is not a minor matter. The Government of Madhya Pradesh should take immediate cognizance of this issue and ensure a fair and impartial investigation. Every worker and artist deserves dignity, timely payment, and protection from intimidation. All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) urges the Honourable Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mohan Yadav, to direct the police to register an FIR against the producer and director based on the allegations made by actor Satendra Soni and to ensure the safety and security of film workers and artists in Madhya Pradesh."

Satendra had explained the situation in his Instagram caption. He wrote in Hindi, “Hello, my name is Satendra Soni. I am an actor. I went to Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, to shoot for a film called Ped Palki. The director and producer for it is Pushpendra Singh, who also made Ajmer 92. They just sent me ₹50,000 in advance to come to shoot, and committed to make the rest of the payment during the shoot."

He added, "I had a total of 10 days’ job of shooting. After 7-8 days, they didn’t pay me anything. There, I also heard people in the unit saying no one got paid. When I asked about payment, I was told to pack up. Pushpendra started threatening me and said, ‘You check out from the hotel in 10 minutes, you should not be seen in the hotel, or else we will kill you.’ His wife, Pragati Chauhan, who was the heroine of the movie, also scolded and hurled dirty abuses at me. I was very scared, and as I started checking out of the hotel in fear. Shreedhar Dubey and Pankaj Sharma also came with me.”

Satendra has played small but notable roles in several well-known projects, including Doctor G, Bawaal, Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders, and the television show Hello Bachhon.