Seems like Salman Khan is on his way to become the king on controversy. He has managed to get back into one more. This time, it involves his legendary disaster featuring Zarine Khan – Veer. Deccan Chronicle reported that the producer of the film Vijay Galani who spent the last three years of his life fighting a long legal battle against the superstar has sued Salman for Rs 250 crores.
Vijay Galani talked about his horrendous experience. He said, “I’ve known Salman and his family for 20 years. Hamara saath uthna baithna hota ttha. In 1992 I produced ‘Suryvanshi’ with Salman in the lead. Salman suggested I produce ‘Veer’ for him. He had asked his brother Sohail Khan and his friends Boney Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and Sajid Nadiadwala to produce ‘Veer’. He suggested I do it. I agreed. Anil Sharma was chosen to direct this lavish film.”
He added, “I agreed to give Salman a signing amount of Rs 10 crores for ‘Veer’. In his entire career Salman had not received this kind of a signing amount. In fact his entire fee for ‘Yuvraaj’ and ‘Wanted’ and other films during that period was around 7-8 crores each. Even Salim Saab said this signing amount was unprecedented. Besides this amount we agreed that Salman would get Rs 15 crores if and when there is an ‘overflow’ (when the film shows profits). Salman completed the film happily. And I sold the film to Eros Entertainment.Eros, Salman and I drew up a tri-party agreement that the first overflow amount of Rs 15 crores would go to Salman.”
In March 2010, Galani received a letter from Salman’s office asking for a copy of the agreement letter. Galani continued, “the most interesting thing about this letter was that on the night before I received it I was at Salman’s place laughing and joking as usual. He mentioned that his new business manager was sending me a letter and I should just ignore it. Then in April I received another letter stating that Salman finds the Rs15 crore overflow agreements to be unacceptable. This, after everything being on paper. We were working together for two years and he never mentioned he had any problem with the ‘overflow’ agreement. What made him suddenly wake up about having a problem with the overflow? Firstly the ‘overflow’ agreement was on paper and secondly Veer showed no profits. So CINTAA ruled in my favour. Then I took the help of my producers’ association. Salman then complained to the Federation Of Western India Cine Association. But I responded saying there was no overflow. In the meanwhile Salman got upset with CINTAA .So to please him they issued a non-cooperation letter against me which was totally invalid and baseless.”
“The press reported only from Salman’s viewpoint. I had no choice left but to go to court. Everywhere I was being made out to be in the wrong just because Salman was involved. I’ve been a part of the film industry for 20 years. I couldn’t let my reputation be tarnished. For the first time in the history of the entertainment industry the party claiming I owed him money didn’t go to court. Rather the party on whom the claim was made, wrongly, went to court. The honourable court saw my papers. They called Salman’s representative to court and asked on what basis they had been asking for money and why was a non-cooperation letter issued against me. They had no reply. The court has now ruled in my favour and issued an absolute stay on the non-cooperation letter.”
Vijay Galani has sued Salman Khan for defamation.“I cannot tell you what I’ve gone through during the last three years .My mental agony and the money on lawyers has left me drained. I’ve filed a Rs 250 crore defamation case against Salman for mental agony, harassment, loss of face. Who will give me back the 3 years that I’ve lost?”
We hope Vijay Galani gets justice.
News information is sourced from Deccan Chronicle
