Palak Sindhwani, known for her role as Sonu Bhide in the popular comedy series Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, is in the spotlight for serious claims against the show’s producers. Recently, she announced her exit from the show apparently due to harassment and mental torture. This unexpected move has sparked a legal dispute between her and Neela Film Productions. Tensions escalated when rumours surfaced that the show’s makers planned to issue a legal notice to her for allegedly working on other projects without approval. Palak strongly rejected these allegations and instead, accused them of harassment. She stated that she has been treated poorly on set. On the other hand, she also claimed that the production has not yet paid her dues of Rs 21 lakh and she was pressured to work long hours despite being unwell.
Speaking with ETimes, Palak said, “They never discussed any exclusivity contract with me, but as soon as I expressed my desire to leave the show in August, the exploitation began. They likely thought I wouldn’t wait until May to leave, so they started treating me unfairly. The exploitation reached its peak when they accused me of breaching the contract. I was affected by the media reports, but I didn’t stay silent. I kept asking when I could officially resign. It was emotionally draining, I was hurt inside and mentally affected. I would cry in my makeup room and then pull myself together for the shots.”
Palak Sindhwani mentioned that she asked for a meeting to discuss her concerns, which took place on September 18. During the meeting, the producers accused her of breaking contract for the first time, even though she only learned about this after announcing her exit from the series. Palak also revealed that during the meeting, she felt threatened when they claimed they could easily delete her Instagram account and prevent her from working with brands. When she pointed out that other actors were also doing brand endorsements, the production house responded that her contract was different and she shouldn’t compare herself with her colleagues.
She further recalled, “I was still shooting for them, even while dealing with health issues and I had submitted my medical reports. I asked them to consider my condition and grant me some leave, but instead, they kept making me shoot for 12 hours straight, to the point that I couldn’t even meet anyone or respond to their legal notice because I was stuck on set. Only I know how I managed the last 6-7 days. I’ve been mentally harassed by them and these have been the most traumatic days of my life. They call me to shoots and make me sit for 12 hours, even though my actual work only takes 30 minutes.”
Palak Sindhwani’s team previously issued a statement saying that Neela Film Productions has not paid her over Rs 21 lakh. They mentioned that despite this unpaid amount, the production team continues to expect her to work. Meanwhile, Palak is considering taking legal action for harassment and mistreatment against the people involved from the production house.
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