Satendra Soni filed a Zero FIR against director Pushpendra Singh and actor Pragati Chauhan.
The complaint alleges non-payment of ₹2.5 lakh, physical assault, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.
Soni, who has dwarfism, alleged he faced severe harassment, lack of security, and body-shaming on the film set in Madhya Pradesh.
Actor Satendra Soni filed a Zero FIR against filmmaker Pushpendra Singh and his wife, actor Pragati Chauhan, for withholding his fees and assaulting him during the shoot of Paid Paalki. Soni alleged the couple confined him wrongfully and targeted him with insults about his dwarfism, harming his finances as well as his physical and mental health.
According to reports, the police registered several charges. These include Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 127(3) for wrongful confinement, and Section 3(5) for acts done with common intention. The case also invokes Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation and Section 352 for provoking a breach of peace. Soni, who has dwarfism, said he is a struggling actor who relies entirely on this profession for his livelihood.
The actor first connected with Singh eighteen months ago. Singh initially offered him a role in a project titled Shubh Sandesh, which was paused before returning under the name Paid Paalki on April 1, 2026. Soni said the creators defaulted on payments and mistreated him during filming.
Broken promises on set
Soni signed for ₹30,000 per day. The total deal amounted to ₹3 lakh, with the producers paying an initial advance of ₹50,000 before the shoot. They promised to clear the remaining balance through instalments during filming in Madhya Pradesh, Soni claimed.
Pending payments quickly became a concern among the unit. Soni then approached assistant director Raja Chaudhary.
"He was also my contact person, but he told me finances was not his department," added the Laapataa Ladies actor.
Conditions on the set worsened. Soni said the production lacked basic sanitation and served spoiled food to the crew. The actors initially worked without a vanity van, he added. When the producers finally provided one, the entire cast shared the single vehicle.
Stress triggered a panic attack
"I was shivering, but nobody came to help me. There were no medical facilities available. The food was stale," Soni said. He also claimed he worked nearly 16 hours with nothing to eat but a single samosa.
Abuse and security failures
Soni faced repeated ridicule on set due to his appearance. Locals picked him up and took photographs without his consent.
"People on the set tried to pick me up and click pictures with me. The production didn’t care for my security," Soni alleged.
The actor raised concerns about his mental health, which the production ignored. Chaudhary escalated the payment matter to the director's wife.
"She called me a dwarf, abused me and refused to make my payment," Soni said, referring to Pragati Chauhan.
The couple took the actors' transport. Singh and Chauhan allegedly used cabs reserved for the cast to depart early without arranging alternative travel. This left Soni stranded, allowing local villagers to surround him, hold him forcibly, and take pictures, the actor said.
Threats and police intervention
"I wanted to address this to the director who finally called me but threatened me to finish the film or leave the hotel room in 10 minutes. He threatened to beat me up," Soni said.
The actors tried to walk away. When Soni and lead actor Shridhar Dubey resolved to quit the film, the couple physically attacked them, Soni said. Chauhan threatened to murder him and frame both actors in fabricated legal cases, he added. Singh also threatened to end his own life and name them in a suicide note, Soni said.
The actors summoned the police. Singh and Chauhan begged officers not to stop production, claiming a halt would cost crew members their livelihoods, Soni said. Officers urged both parties to settle the matter. However, the actors refused to resume filming until the producers cleared their outstanding dues, preventing any agreement.
Singh and Chauhan routinely took funds from several people to finance projects, Soni said. He added that the pair had a history of similar conduct. These assertions remain unverified.
Soni and the other actors returned to Mumbai under police protection. They subsequently filed the Zero FIR.
