Allegations against Apurba: Contract complications, not embezzlement

Television and Digital Programme Producers Association of Bangladesh (TELEPAB) along with Actors Equity Association has sorted out the conflict between actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba and production company Alpha I. Both the accuser and the accused stood up from the truce table, smiled and posed for a photo.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by six people including the two of them was published on Saturday night. The issue of settlement between accuser Shakil and accused Apurba was mentioned in the statement. And their photo went viral on the social media on midnight.

Leaders of the respective organisations resolved the matter following a meeting with both parties till midnight on Saturday. Actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba, Alpha I managing director Shahriar Shakil, TELEPAB president Monowar Pathan, general secretary Saju Muntasir, Actors Equity Association president Ahsan Habib Nasim and general secretary Rawnak Hasan were present in the meeting.

It was stated in a joint press release that both parties had submitted complaints to the TELEPAB and Actors Equity Association centering the crisis that had been created between actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba and production company Alpha I Studios recently concerning the agreement of work. In that context, a meeting was held in the presence of both parties on 16 March 2024.

In that meeting everyone felt that neither of the two parties held their end of the bargain as per the agreement. According to the contract, Ziaul Faruq Apurba acted in nine dramas and both parties have agreed not to do the remaining dramas under that contract anymore.

In that case, the advance money that was paid to Apurba for the remaining dramas will be balanced out by the two parties. It also stated that the incident is in no way embezzlement, it is just a contractual complication. The whole thing occurred due to the lack of communication and coordination.

Notably, actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba two years ago signed a contract for 24 dramas with the production company Alpha I Studios Limited. Shahriar Shakil is the managing director of the production company. As per the contract, Apurba was supposed to complete the shooting of the dramas working three days every month. The dramas were supposed to be completed in October last year.

Under such conditions, the production company gave Apurba Tk 2.5 million (25 lakh) in advance and nine dramas were shot. Later the production house sent a legal notice to Apurba with allegations of embezzlement and non-adherence to shooting schedule for the actor not shooting for them anymore.  

Actor Apurba became embarrassed at that. He said that the allegations are false. Mentioning that the incident was intentional he added that the allegation of embezzlement against him is derogatory.

Producer Shahriar Shakil said they have been working with Apurba for more than 18 years. Counting on that longstanding relation, they signed a contract in 2022 for shooting 24 dramas together.

Against the agreement to shoot 24 dramas Apurba shot for nine dramas and collected total Tk3.3 million (33 lakh) including Tk 2.5 million (25 lakh) as advance and then another Tk 900,000 (9 lakh) later. After that the production company had to wait 10 months for the shooting of the dramas.