'Fitoor' pay parity story baseless, says UTV

Dismissing reports that the lead actors of the forthcoming film "Fitoor" got Rs.4 crore each, the producers of the film -- starring Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur -- have called the claims "totally baseless and factually incorrect".

Several reports suggested that Katrina and Aditya were paid Rs.4 crore each for the Abhishek Kapoor-directorial despite Katrina being a senior colleague. It was also being speculated that Aditya got the hefty amount at par with Katrina as he is producer Siddharth Roy Kapur's brother.

"The speculative remuneration quoted by a journalist in a respectable daily today is totally baseless and factually incorrect," a UTV spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement further read: "It is unfortunate we are in times when stories are being chased and printed without being discerning or checking facts. Talent remuneration is based on seniority, experience and track record. The cast and crew of 'Fitoor' have worked hard on the movie and all the hard work shows on screen."

"Fitoor", which means passion or obsession, is the story of a budding artiste Noor (Aditya) who falls in love with Firdaus (Katrina). And the trailer paints a whimsical picture with snow and a scenic backdrop. It also hints at the politics surrounding Kashmir. It stars Tabu as well.

The film, an adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations", is slated to hit the theatres on February 12.