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A payment dispute over Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara between Monjoy Mukerji and Ashwani Kumar remains unresolved, despite IMPPA intervention.
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A financial disagreement linked to the 2016 film Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara has returned to public attention following claims that a long-standing payment dispute remains unresolved between members of the production team.
The controversy involves filmmaker Monjoy Mukerji and associate producer Ashwani Kumar, who reportedly invested in the project and later sought recovery of funds along with promised returns.
Kumar told mid-day that he had contributed ₹38.73 lakh toward the film with an agreement that included a 10% profit share and co-producer credit. According to him, partial repayment was made over time.
“After the film was made, I asked for my principal amount according to our contract. Monjoy paid me Rs 15 lakh over a period of time and asked me to take the rights for airing the film on Doordarshan,” he recalled.
In 2025, the dispute was taken to the joint dispute settlement committee formed by the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association and Western India Film Producers’ Association.
The committee reportedly directed Mukerji to pay the remaining ₹23.73 lakh to Kumar, according to the associate producer’s statement.
Mukerji, however, presented a different account of the financial arrangement. He claimed that both sides had earlier reached a mutual settlement of ₹20 lakh.
“We had a mutual agreement settlement of Rs 20 lakh, out of which Rs 15 lakh was paid to him. In 2023, I sent him an email, saying that he can take the balance Rs 5 lakh and close the matter. But he took the matter to IMPPA, who suggested I pay him R5 lakh while another R5 lakh can be paid over 15 months. He refused that decision too.”
Mukerji’s legal representative, Sagar R Chabria, stated that the production team has not received any official communication regarding a revised settlement directive from the committee.
Released in 2016, the film is a Hindi-language romantic comedy featuring actors such as Sahil Anand, Herry Tangiri, Vikram Kochhar, Nilesh Lalwani, Niyati Joshi, Divvya Chouksey, Jayaka Yagnik and Sareh Far.
The storyline follows three couples navigating relationships, expectations and life choices. The plot explores contrasting perspectives on romance and marriage through characters such as Tony and Pooja, Rikki and Sanya, and Saajan and Sanjana.
Set partly in Mumbai and later in the scenic landscapes of Kashmir, the narrative moves from urban relationship tensions to a more reflective atmosphere as the couples encounter an old friend and his Persian wife during a resort visit.
The film attempts to portray how changing environments influence personal relationships, highlighting themes of love, ego, and emotional reconciliation among the three couples.
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March 01, 2026, 13:20 IST
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