Producer Boney Kapoor recently responded to actor Arshad Warsi's claims about being underpaid for choreographing a song in the 1993 film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja. Arshad had alleged that he was paid Rs 75,000 instead of the Rs 1 lakh he had quoted, despite finishing the job in three days instead of the expected four. In an interview, Boney Kapoor dismissed Arshad's complaints, questioning why he would be paid such a high amount considering that Arshad "wasn't a star" at the time. Boney found it amusing that Arshad would bring up the issue decades later, noting that the shoot took place in 1992, and only now was it being discussed. He clarified that the song’s direction was handled by Pankaj Parashar, who was in charge of the overall shoot, including segments filmed in Singapore or Hong Kong. According to Boney, Arshad was paid Rs 25,000 per day, amounting to Rs 75,000 for the three days he worked, which he claims was a fair payment given the circumstances. ALSO READ: Sudheer Babu SLAMS Arshad Warsi's 'Prabhas Was A Joker' Remark In Kalki 2898 AD, Says 'His Stature Is Too Big For Comments Coming From Small Minds'
Boney Kapoor also mentioned that despite having been on a TV show together with Arshad, where they worked alongside Malaika Arora and Farah Khan, Arshad had never previously mentioned this grievance. Boney suggested that Arshad’s comments might be an attempt to gain media attention, and expressed his frustration at being a “soft target” for such accusations. Pankaj Parashar, the director of the song, backed Boney Kapoor's statements, asserting that he was the one who completed the shoot in three days. Pankaj emphasized that as the director, he controlled the shoot, not Arshad, who was a newcomer in choreography at that time.
Arshad had shared his side of the story during an appearance on Unfiltered by Samdish, where he detailed how he was approached by the production team to finish the song sooner to reduce costs. He had agreed to try his best and succeeded in completing the shoot a day earlier. However, when he went to collect his payment, he was given Rs 75,000 instead of the Rs 1 lakh he had expected. Arshad recalled that he argued that he should be paid more for saving the production an entire day’s worth of shooting costs, but was told that since he had worked for only three days, the payment was proportionately reduced.
Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, produced by Boney Kapoor, starred Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, and though it was expected to be a big hit, the film did not perform well at the box office. This recent controversy has brought the film back into the spotlight, reigniting discussions about the experiences of those who worked on it.
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