To say that trouble has become Shiney Ahuja's middle name may not really be an overstatement. Ever since the actor has been out on bail, he has been courting controversy, one after another, especially with regards to his latest film Ghost.
Now we hear that the promotional tour of the film, between Delhi and Jaipur, went so haywire, that the organisers of the tour have sent the producers a legal notice claiming compensation worth Rs 30 lakh.
Says Mohit Garg, one of the organisers belonging to a Rajasthan based company, "We were arranging some events for the film's crew that included Shiney, Sayali Bhagat and singers Sharib and Toshi.
The itinerary had been sent to them. They not only reached the press conference at Delhi many hours late, but they also demanded a hefty sum to make an appearance at a pub at a luxury hotel in Gurgaon.
This was a prior commitment and they had no business asking for extra money. So we have sent them a legal notice. I want to make sure the film is stalled."
However, the producers of the film have a completely different side to this claim. Apparently the organisers not only disappeared from the scene, but did not even bother arranging for decent accommodation for the celebrities.
Says producer Pooja Jitendar Bedi who rubbishes the allegations, "Mohit is a liar and a thief. When we reached the Delhi airport nobody bothered to pick us up on time. Plus Shiney was made to attend many small ribbon/cake-cutting ceremonies just so they could milk his presence.
However, we complied, but the organisers left us in the lurch mid-way, forcing us to contact another agency at the last minute to complete the tour."
Pooja also denies that Shiney and gang asked for money to appear at the Gurgaon pub. "All we asked for was Rs 50, 000 to buy return tickets to Mumbai. Imagine how badly we were treated."
Adds a source, "Every actor commands a certain amount of respect and it's sad that with Shiney, things have been bad ever since his arrest. But he cannot be blamed for trying to get back on his feet."
Ghosts from his past or plain unlucky?