Actor Payal Rajput is embroiled in a dispute with the producers of her film, Rakshana, which escalated on Monday. Payal took to her X handle (formerly Twitter) to allege that the producers threatened to ban her from Tollywood if she didn’t promote the film. In response, the producers revealed that they have lodged a complaint against her with the Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC).

What were the allegations hurled by Payal?

On Sunday evening, Payal shared a note on X and her Instagram handle detailing her side of the story. She wrote, “I have a film, Rakshana, shot in 2019 and 2020, originally named 5Ws. The release was delayed, and now they’re trying to benefit from my recent success without clearing dues and are demanding promotional presence. My team communicated my unavailability due to prior commitments, but they threatened to ban me from Telugu cinema.”

She also claimed that in recent meetings, the producers used inappropriate language and that she and her team are now considering legal action. Payal stated that they are releasing the film without her consent.

Producers file complaint against Payal Rajput

The TFPC released a press note on Monday stating that the producers had filed a complaint against the actor with the council in March. The note indicated that they received a complaint from producer and director Prandeep Thakore regarding Payal not allocating dates to promote the film. He had planned to release the film in April, but she refused, claiming it was a four-year-old film and suggested releasing it on OTT. The producers also claimed that they were willing to pay the ₹6 lakh due, provided she participated in the promotions, which she failed to do.

The press note also mentioned that complaints were filed with the Movie Artistes Association, Film Federation of India, and IMMPA, Mumbai. The TFPC stated that they made every effort to reach out to Payal through her manager and condemned her statement. They also asserted that Prandeep has all rights to use her name during promotions as she acted in the film.