Show me the money

Amisha Patel has now invited the wrath of locals in Surat for no fault of her own. Her absence at a much-hyped charity dance show, where she was scheduled to perform, led the spectators to go on a rampage at the venue. The locals have ransacked the indoor stadium premises and have damaged state-of-the-art equipment. The organisers blamed the actress for pulling out of the show and even wanted to a lodge a complaint at a local police station for breach of contract. The actress, however, explains that she was not given her remuneration as promised. She also says that organisers have been unprofessional from the outset. After having signed the contract, her token cheque of two lakhs had bounced. This is when the organisers handed out a demand draft. "I have never heard of the organisers. We were dealing with their local agent, Shariq. The usual practice is that they pay you the entire amount before you take the stage. They made false promises and the money never came. They even refused to answer our calls for days." Eventually, she pulled out when they refused to address her concerns. Her business manager Sanjay Upadhaya says that the organisers are known for hoarding the money that they raise from shows. "After much probing I have gathered that these guys have a very bad reputation. Previously, they have pocketed the money from a similar show. I'm told that even Priyanka Chopra had a problem with them," he concludes.