S.Naved Alam: Bhopal line producer alleges unpaid dues of over Rs 8 lakh and claims misleading shooting details were used to seek benefits under the MP government’s film subsidy policy.
Telugu filmmaker Gudluri Ashok Babu, who is already under investigation by the Cyberabad Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in an alleged Rs 3.5 crore cheating case, is now facing fresh legal trouble in Madhya Pradesh.
Bhopal Police have registered an FIR against the director and his nephew, Sai Praneeth, following allegations by a city-based line producer that they cheated him of more than Rs 8 lakh and allegedly misrepresented shooting locations to claim benefits under the Madhya Pradesh government’s film subsidy policy.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Omar Gul Khan, a Bhopal-based line producer who claimed Ashok Babu approached him in 2025 to provide line production services for five proposed Telugu films — Bhairavi, Bhargavi, Adu Bullet Ra, Target and Vartali.
According to the complaint, Khan was hired at a professional fee of Rs 15,000 per day and arranged location permissions, accommodation, transport, artists, lighting, generators, catering and other production logistics for shooting schedules planned in Bhopal, Narsinghgarh and Tamia.
Khan alleged that despite repeated requests, the filmmaker refused to sign a formal agreement while assuring him that all dues would be cleared after the shoot. He further claimed that several locations for which permissions were obtained through him were never actually used for filming.
Instead, the shooting allegedly took place elsewhere, raising suspicion that incorrect information may have been used in connection with the state’s film subsidy scheme. The complaint urges police to investigate whether any misleading claims were made before government authorities. However, it does not state that any subsidy was actually sanctioned or released.
The complainant further alleged that Sai Praneeth actively handled payment-related discussions and coordination with vendors and artists. He claimed to possess WhatsApp chats, call recordings and payment records that he has offered to submit as evidence during the investigation.
According to the FIR, the payment dispute escalated during the shooting schedule in Tamia. Khan alleged that on the night of January 2, 2026, Ashok Babu assured crew members that their dues would be cleared the following morning. However, he claimed the director and his team vacated their accommodation overnight and left the location without informing anyone. Khan alleged that more than Rs 8 lakh remains unpaid to him, while two other artists are collectively awaiting around Rs 4 lakh.
The case comes months after the Cyberabad EOW registered a separate cheating case against Ashok Babu over allegations that he collected Rs 3.5 crore from a Hyderabad-based family after promising to launch their son as a lead actor and offer them a partnership in a film project. That investigation is ongoing.
The allegations in both cases are under investigation and have not been proven in court. Attempts to contact Gudluri Ashok Babu for his response were unsuccessful till the time of publication.
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