Aarushi Nishank, daughter of ex-Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, accused producers Mansi and Varun Bagla of financial fraud, claiming they duped her of Rs 4 crore. The Baglas deny it.
Aarushi Nishank Accuses Vikrant Massey’s Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan Producers Of Duping Her Of ₹4 Crore
The producers of Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan are in legal trouble after actress Aarushi Nishank, the daughter of former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, filed a complaint accusing them of financial fraud. Nishank alleged that producer couple Mansi Bagla and Varun Bagla duped her of Rs 4 crore under the pretext of giving her a role in their upcoming film, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan. It stars Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor in the lead.
Now, Varun and Mansi Bagla of Mini Films have given a statement of their own denying all such allegations by Arushi Nishank. They have dismissed the claims as false, emphasizing legal action while highlighting Arushi’s political influence and personal motivations. A case has been filed, and the investigation is currently underway. The producers stated that the claims made by Arushi Nishank are “completely false and misleading.”
The statement read, “This is a civil dispute, and we are taking the necessary legal recourse to address the matter. Further, Arushi Nishank approached us in Mumbai, persistently following up for a meeting with us, stating that she is the daughter of the ex-minister of Uttarakhand and wanted to tie up with us through her entity, Himshri Films, for our film.”
It further said, “She claimed she could bring our film to Uttarakhand, as she had a strong political hold at Uttarakhand and could get many things done easily for us and for our film. However, we politely refused her, stating that we do not need any support as we were already progressing with our film.”
“She later expressed her desire to become a heroine and requested to us for a small role in exchange for investing in the film, stating that investing in the film would help her achieve this. She claimed it would also position her as the face of Uttarakhand and boost her political career too. To persuade us, she told us about her strong ties with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, mentioning to us how she had invited him to the set of her web series Life Hill Gayi and promised to do the same for our film. However, once she came on board, she began threatening and demanding a larger role as a parallel lead of the Film.”
“While we were shooting in Dehradun, her husband, Abhinav Pant, who often tried to attract us with his astrological talks and frequently asked for our kundali, invited us to his construction site near Dehradun Airport, close to Thano Chowk. A car took us to a half constructed building, where he threatened us to give Arushi a parallel lead role in the film. Refusing to bow down to their pressure, we removed her from the film, terminating her involvement. The threats to defame were given to us if we did not meet their demands.”
“Despite this, she spread false PR news, claiming to be a trio in the film with our lead cast. Arushi is media-hungry person and has temperamental issues. The accusations are entirely fabricated, and our legal team is taking necessary action. The production house urges the media and public to dismiss these false claims and await the legal resolution.”
According to reports, the producers allegedly approached Aarushi Nishank at her residence, persuading her to invest Rs 5 crore in the project. In return, they reportedly assured her a pivotal role in the film along with a 20 per cent share of the profits, estimated to exceed Rs 15 crore.
It is further reported that the producers guaranteed a full refund of the investment with 15 per cent interest if Nishank was dissatisfied with the role offered. An MoU was reportedly signed on October 9, 2024, following which Aarushi transferred Rs 2 crore to the producers the very next day. By November 19, 2024, Aarushi Nishank had allegedly made an additional payment of Rs 2 crore, bringing her total investment in the project to Rs 4 crore.
Aarushi alleged that despite waiting for several days, the producers failed to finalise a script for her role. Eventually, she was reportedly dropped from the project without prior notice. When she demanded a refund, the producers allegedly refused and informed her that another actress had been cast in her place.
