In a shocking development, actor Siddharth Sharma announced on his Instagram that he has dissociated himself from the Sunny Deol-starrer *Soorya*. In his post, Siddharth 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. He began by saying, “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 Sharma Blasts *Soorya* Makers Over Non-Payment of Dues
Siddharth blasted the film’s producers for non-payment of dues. He quoted the producer telling him, “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.”
He elaborated, “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. They also got my number through Vinay Sapru sir and Radhika Rao ma’am, who had given me my biggest hit to date, *Leja Re*, which has 1 billion views on T-Series’ YouTube channel. Both had worked with the producer (Kamal Mukut) on *Sanam Teri Kasam* (2016). The makers took their reference and got my number from them.”
### Signing the Film and Initial Shoot Experience
Siddharth shared, “At first, I didn’t entertain them. But my brother called me when I was inside, informing me that these producers had signed Sunny Deol and were looking for a younger actor for an important role. The film was pitched as a Sunny Deol starrer. At that time, I had already worked on Season 2 of *Punch Beat*. I signed an agreement with them and we began shooting the film in Jaipur in 2022.”
He continued, “The first schedule got over. It was not great, but overall, it was fine. We had a contract stating that I would receive a signing amount and 20% of my remaining fees after 50% of the shoot was completed. However, the film got postponed. They kept asking for dates and, after taking them, kept cancelling the shoot schedules. Those days, they didn’t have much money, so I didn’t put pressure on the producer.”
### Issues of Payment Postponement
Siddharth said, “But after the success of *Gadar 2* and the re-release of *Sanam Teri Kasam*, they had money and power. I guess they felt it was okay not to adhere to my contract and not pay me. They often spoke sweetly, saying, ‘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 to continue.”
He added, “I pointed out that the contract was signed way back in 2022 and asked for a fresh contract. Sunny sir and others were getting hikes, so I asked for a raise, which they refused. I said, ‘Fair enough, but please pay me my remaining dues.’ I even had to cancel dates for another film to accommodate *Soorya* since I have a particular look in this film. I gave it my all.”
Siddharth revealed, “When I asked for my dues, they refused, saying, ‘Abhi paise nahin hai’ or ‘we haven’t started clearing payments’. I kept following up. One day, the producer threatened me on a call, saying, ‘Main toh pay nahin karunga. Tujhe jo karna hai, tu kar le. Tu apne aap ko bada hero samajta hai. Toh ban le hero.’ This was wrong since I was always polite in my communications.”
### Refusal to Participate in Dubbing and Promotions
He stated, “As per the contract, I am committed to dubbing and promotions, but I won’t indulge in these activities until they pay me my rightful dues. Also, they cheated me with a theatrical ad they shot for Manyavar.”
On being asked for details, Siddharth explained, “They said it was part of the film, claiming ‘It’s a scene.’ But I had the bound script with me, and that scene wasn’t in it. They said, ‘We added it later creatively.’ They shot an ad with me without my consent or knowledge. This is cheating.”
He further revealed, “Only later Manyavar told me they wanted to do a promotional exercise with me since I had shot an ad for their brand. I told them, ‘Which ad? I never shot any ad for Manyavar.’ That’s when I learned the truth. The ad features me, Sunny sir, and Virti Vaghani, who has acted in *Aarya* as Sushmita Sen’s daughter.”
### Legal Action and Final Thoughts
With no other option left, Siddharth sent a legal notice, but when there was no response, he posted about the matter on Instagram.
Despite this bad experience, he shared, “The film is fantastic. The songs are also very nice. They have changed the film quite a bit; it is no longer the same script I signed for. But I am okay with it as it’s a creative decision if it benefits the film. However, I expect at least my dues to be paid and the legal agreement to be honored. Otherwise, what’s the point of signing an agreement?”
### Concerns Over Sunny Deol’s Name Being Tarnished
Signing off, Siddharth remarked, “They are ruining the name of Sunny Deol sir. They pitch the film using his name, saying, ‘He is our hero; he is working with us.’ They added they have been in the business since the 1970s and have worked with stalwarts like Rishi Kapoor. Hence, you think you’ll be in safe hands. But alas.”
We tried contacting producer Kamal Mukut for his response, but he was unavailable for comment.
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