You'd think that an FIR would daunt anyone. But director Tigmanshu Dhulia is unfazed by Paan Singh's nephew Balwant Singh's claim that that the director had promised him Rs 40 lakhs for providing information on his uncle on whose Dhulia's new film Paan Singh Tomar is based.
Reacting sharply and with laughter to Balwant Singh's claim, Dhulia says, "Who am I to vow him Rs 40 lakhs? Only the producer of a movie talks money. And let me inform this gentleman that no one, not even the film's leading man Irrfan Khan was paid that sort of cash. Paan Singh Tomar is a small-budgeted film. We shot it on location and lived on bare essentials during shooting. If we had Rs 40 lakhs to offer this guy we'd have spent more on promoting out film."
Tigmanshu completely rubbishes Balwant Singh's claim that the director visited Balwant Singh's home in Guda village in 2010.
Protests Dhulia, "I've never been to his village or his house. Why should I? We met maybe 2-3 times because, yes, I WISHED information on Paan Singh's life. But never at Balwant's home. The primary meeting happened at a dhaba on a Gwalior highway where we spoke at length about Paan Singh. That conversation was video-recorded. Beyond that I met Balwant maybe one or twice. That's it. I also met other members of Balwant's family including his wife and son. How come they are not soliciting for monetary compensation for sharing Paan Singh's life with me?"
Interestingly, Dhulia lets out that in the process his research he also met Milkha Singh, the Olympian athlete on whose life Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is creating a film.
Says Dhulia, "Milkha Singh played a vital part in Paan Singh's life as an athlete. So yes, I met Milkha Singh etc. But no person else has asked for money."
Dhulia feels Balwant Singh is solely getting greedy at the eve of the film's release. "THESE KIND OF impediments before a film's release are being recommend much too often. I FEEL there need to be laws against individuals who jump in with demands days before a film's release. We're a small film. We won't afford to offer in to such arm-twisting simply to free our film from humbug."
