Actor Satendra Soni, known for his appearances in Laapataa Ladies and Mirzapur, has alleged serious misconduct during the filming of Ped Palki in Madhya Pradesh. Through an emotional Instagram video, the actor claimed that a dispute over unpaid dues led to him and other artistes being removed from the project and allegedly threatened by filmmaker Pushpendra Singh.
Satendra Soni Shares Allegations in Instagram Video
Soni took to Instagram on Sunday to describe what he said happened during the production of Ped Palki in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh.
According to the actor, he and several other character artistes sought payment after working for more than a week on the film. He alleged that the request was met with hostility and threats.
In the video, Satendra said:
“I came to Mahiar to do a film directed by Pushpendra Singh called Pedh Palkhi. He had given us Rs 50000 as signing amount. After that, he had told us that we would be paid during the shooting. It’s been eight days since we started shooting, and when we asked him for money, he asked us to pack up and leave the hotel. He even threatened to kill us.”
Detailed Claims Shared in Social Media Post
Expanding on the allegations in the caption accompanying the video, Soni stated that he had accepted a 10-day assignment for the film and received Rs 50,000 as an advance payment before travelling for the shoot.
He wrote:
“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 Rs 50,000 in advance to come to shoot, and committed to make the rest of the payment during the shoot. 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.”
Other Actors Mentioned in the Incident
In his account, Soni said actors Shreedhar Dubey and Pankaj Sharma left the hotel alongside him following the alleged confrontation.
He further claimed that he felt frightened by the situation and decided to leave the location immediately.
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Actor Says He Returned to Mumbai Safely
Later, Satendra posted another video informing followers that he and others had safely reached Mumbai. The actor credited the Maihar police, actor Ashutosh Rana and several others for their assistance during the ordeal.
In the video, he said:
“We have safely reached Mumbai. Maihar police have supported us immensely; others also helped us. It has been a very tough journey, but we are back in Mumbai. We were mentally very disturbed. This was the first time we faced something like this. It’s a lesson for us. We were shocked and needed someone to motivate us. We have reached Mumbai with great difficulty, but we are safe now. Ashutosh Rana also helped us a lot. We were feeling alone. The way he behaved made it clear that his motive was different, but we artistes stood together and somehow managed to return.”
Spotlight on Challenges Faced by Character Artistes
The allegations come shortly after SCREEN reported on issues faced by character artistes in the film industry, particularly regarding delayed payments and employment security.
Jatin Negi on Payment Delays
Character artiste Jatin Negi highlighted the financial difficulties often faced by supporting actors.
He said:
“Payments for secondary and tertiary characters are often delayed. If you are playing a character role, it will be very difficult for you to get paid Rs 5 lakhs. If the film flops, people say they invested everything in the project, and there is nothing left to pay others. There is a huge difference in the amounts paid to leads and character artists. Tertiary characters are hired for Rs 5000 per day. There could be a deal where they have to work for two days, and they are getting Rs 8-10,000 after 2 months. Character artists generally don’t get respected; your role decides the respect you get.”
Sunita Rajwar Discusses Industry Practices
Actor Sunita Rajwar also spoke about disparities in compensation and treatment within the industry.
She said:
“Everyone is paid differently; it depends on market value. Every director, even some big names, tries to make artists work for free, saying that they are getting a platform. There are actors who get paid more for working for five days as compared to those who work for 15 days. I have heard that character artists are the first ones to suffer during losses or pay cuts; I have not experienced it. But a friend was once told her payment would be reduced since the project faced losses.”
Conclusion
Satendra Soni’s allegations have drawn attention to concerns surrounding payments and working conditions for character artistes in the entertainment industry. While the actor has stated that he safely returned to Mumbai with support from the Maihar police and others, the incident has further highlighted ongoing discussions about financial security and treatment of supporting actors on film sets.
