In a shocking development, actor Siddharth Sharma took to his Instagram handle to announce that he has dissociated himself from the Sunny Deol-starrer *Soorya*. In his post, he revealed that he has initiated legal proceedings against the makers of the film.
Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Siddharth Sharma to understand what went wrong.
“This has happened for the first time in my career of 7-8 years. I have worked with T-Series for almost 5 years with Balaji, but I never faced something of this sort,” Siddharth began.
### Explosive Allegations: Non-Payment and Misuse of Image
Siddharth blasted the makers of *Soorya* for non-payment of dues. He shared an alarming quote from the producer:
> “Main toh pay nahin karunga. Tujhe jo karna hai, tu kar.”
He further added,
> “They are ruining Sunny Deol sir’s name. They made me shoot an ad for Manyavar without my consent or knowledge.”
### How the Project Came About
Siddharth explained, “When I was working on the reality show *Lock Upp*, the producers of *Soorya* approached Kangana Ranaut to reach out to me, as they wanted me to sign their film.”
He added that the makers obtained his contact details through Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao, the directors of his biggest hit to date, “*Leja Re*,” which has over 1 billion views on T-Series’ YouTube channel. Both had previously worked with the film’s producer Kamal Mukut on *Sanam Teri Kasam* (2016), and the makers used their reference to contact Siddharth.
### Signing and Shooting the Film
“At first, I didn’t entertain their offers. But then, my brother called me inside the *Lock Upp* house and told me that the producers had signed Sunny Deol and were looking for a younger actor for an important role,” Siddharth shared. The film was pitched to him as a Sunny Deol-starrer.
By 2022, having already worked on Season 2 of *Punch Beat*, Siddharth signed an agreement with the producers and began shooting in Jaipur.
“The first schedule got over. It was not great, but overall fine. Our contract stated that I’d receive a signing amount plus 20% of my remaining fees after 50% of the shoot was complete,” he said.
### Delays and Payment Issues
However, the film got postponed, and despite the producers repeatedly asking for his dates, they kept canceling the shoot schedule. Siddharth noticed that the producers were facing financial difficulties at the time, so he did not press them too hard.
“But after the success of *Gadar 2* and the re-release of *Sanam Teri Kasam*, they had money. They also had the power, and I guess they felt it was okay to not adhere to my contract and not pay me,” Siddharth alleged.
He recalled,
> “They used to speak very sweetly, ‘Beta, shoot kar le. After 3 years, we are finally resuming the shoot. Sunny Deol has finally agreed to shoot.’ This is how they convinced me.”
### Contract Dispute and Refusal to Pay
Siddharth then asked for a fresh contract since the original was signed back in 2022. He also requested a raise, noting that Sunny Deol and other actors were getting fee hikes. The producers refused both requests.
“I said, ‘Fair enough. But please pay me my remaining dues.’ I had to cancel dates for another film I was committed to in order to shoot *Soorya*. I gave the film my everything,” he explained.
When Siddharth repeatedly asked for the payment, the producer kept saying, “Abhi paise nahin hai” or “we haven’t started clearing the payments.”
Eventually, Siddharth said the producer threatened him over the phone:
> “Main toh pay nahin karunga. Tujhe jo karna hai, tu kar le. Tu apne aap ko bada hero samajta hai. Toh ban le hero.”
He condemned this behavior, saying, “I was always talking to them humbly.”
### Refusal to Participate in Dubbing and Promotions
As per the contract, Siddharth is obligated to complete dubbing and promotions for the film. However, he stated,
> “I won’t be indulging in these activities until they pay me my rightful dues.”
He also accused the producers of cheating him in a theatrical ad shoot for Manyavar.
### Unauthorized Usage in Manyavar Advertisement
“They said it was a part of the film, a scene. But I had the bound script, and that scene wasn’t in it. They claimed, ‘We have added it later creatively,’” Siddharth explained.
He revealed that the Manyavar ad was shot without his consent or knowledge, which he considers cheating. It was only later that Manyavar informed him about a promotional exercise involving him because he had shot an ad for their brand.
Siddharth added,
> “The ad features me, Sunny Sir, and Virti Vaghani, who has previously worked in *Aarya* as Sushmita Sen’s daughter.”
### Legal Steps Taken
With no other option left, Siddharth sent a legal notice to the makers, but they did not respond. This prompted him to make the issue public on his Instagram handle.
### Despite the Troubles, Siddharth Appreciates the Film
Despite the ongoing issues, Siddharth praised the film:
> “The film is fantastic. The songs are very nice. They have changed the film quite a bit. It is no longer the same script that I signed for. But I am okay with it as it’s a creative call and if it benefits the film.”
He appealed to the producers, saying,
> “At least pay me my dues and stick to the legal agreement. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing an agreement?”
### Final Remarks
Siddharth expressed concern over the film’s makers misusing Sunny Deol’s name:
> “They are ruining the name of Sunny Deol sir. They pitch the film using his name, saying, ‘Woh hamare hero hai; hamare saath kaam kar rahe hai.’ They further claim that they have been in the business since the 1970s and have worked with stalwarts like Rishi Kapoor. So one expects to be in safe hands. But alas.”
Attempts to contact producer Kamal Mukut for comment were unsuccessful.
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Sunny Deol announces new film *Ikka*, unveils first look motion poster.
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