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Drunk hotelier abuses Bipasha 
February 7, 2010
Bipasha Basu came down to Delhi for what was expected to be just another
promotional activity by a celeb. It turned out to be anything but that, as
accusations of starry tantrums, breach of contract, abusive behaviour,
harassment – many of them contradictory – flew around. Bipasha and Shemaroo say
that she was being coerced into being part of the hotel chairman’s birthday
celebrations. The chairman, Ashok Mittal, predictably denies this. TOI brings
you all sides of the story
‘Mittal was sloshed, abusive and threatening’
Bipasha’s PR team’s take: “Initially, Bipasha was supposed to release the DVD in
Delhi on February 4 and in Mumbai on February 5, but since John had time on the
fourth, they launched the DVD in Mumbai first.
We
met Ashok Mittal for the event and he agreed to sponsor the entire launch. He
also said that since it’s his birthday on the 5th, he’d like Bipasha to come for
his birthday party and cut the cake. We told him that actors charge a fee for
such events and that Bipasha too would ask for that. Then he said that he’d
sponsor the launch, which would include, besides the rooms, tickets, backdrop,
projector, light and sound, ground travel and security. Ashok Mittal said that
he can only give his BMW for ground transport and I should arrange for the rest.
We gave him an estimated bill of Rs 2.9 lakh for the entire arrangement. He
initially gave a cheque for one lakh, but the day the cheque had to be encashed,
there was a stop payment order on it.
We
called Bobby, who was handling event management for them. He came to meet us,
requested that we get the event done smoothly and gave another cheque of Rs 1
lakh. This cheque was cleared, but now, we were a bit apprehensive. We were told
that we’d be paid the pending amount as soon as Bipasha reached the hotel.
But when Bipasha came and was through with her press conference, Ashok Mittal
asked for her to come and join him in his celebrations. It was around 11.30 and
Bipasha had already retired for the day and was fast asleep. Mittal called his
hotel security and asked them to surround Bipasha’s room. The bouncers that had
been hired for Bipasha’s security from our side, were thrown out of the hotel
and the hotel staff misbehaved with them.Mittal, who was completely sloshed,
then started a heated argument with us and used inappropriate language for
Bipasha and demanded that Bipasha be called outside. He was accompanied by some
goons who brandished guns and they even misbehaved with the senior management
from Shemaroo, Bipasha’s partners in the DVD venture.
He
then started talking in a filthy language with everyone and said, “Give me Rs 25
lakh right now or call the sl** out.” It was then that the Shemaroo MD took
matters in his own hands and paid Mittal Rs 10,40,000 by credit card
immediately. However, the Mittals then called the media to her room, alleging
that she had asked for Rs 30 lakh and began cooking all sorts of stories about
her.She left the hotel at 5 in the morning, with the media still camped outside
her room.”
‘Hotel staff asked us to leave’
One of Bipasha’s security guards says: “Ashok Mittal was involved in a heated
argument with Danny outside the lift near Bipasha’s room. They were talking
about their contract. When they came and asked for her, we told them that Madam
had already been sleeping for over an hour and it was impossible to disturb her.
But Mittal kept insisting that they at least make him speak to her on the phone.
But everyone refused. At this point, over a dozen people came, including staff
members, and asked us to leave the hotel.We left the hotel at around 1.30 in the
night and came back at 6 in the morning. By that time, madam had already left.”
‘
Bipasha had not come here for anybody’s birthday’
Hiren Gada, director, Shemaroo Entertainment, says: “It is usual in promotional
events such as this to have a venue partner. And accordingly, we had drawn up a
contract with the Ramada Plaza people. The after party attendance of Bipasha was
also agreed upon as part of the whole deal. But nowhere was it mentioned that it
was the hotel’s chairman, Ashok Mittal’s birthday, and that Bipasha will have to
be part of that too and cut a cake. Everything was going smoothly, in fact, at
the press conference, even Mrs Mittal was called on stage, and Bipasha had then
told her that she will be down in some time.
After the conference, when Bipasha was, in fact, getting ready to come down to
the party, the hotel manager went and told her that it was the chairman’s
birthday and that she would have to cut a cake with him for that. Bipasha very
politely said that this is not what she had come here for, and that whatever was
need in relation to the launch of the DVD, she has already done that. We met Mr
Mittal at the lift lobby at around 11 pm. He was drunk out of his wits – sloshed
is the word. He told us ‘mein jaata hoon aur bolta hoon neeche aane ko.’ We told
him that won’t help, and cited an example, saying that stars charge money for
such things. But he began to abuse us. We said we’re willing to settle things
amicably. He drew up a bill of a huge amount. We paid it immediately without any
questions. After all this, they told the media all sorts of wrong things. They
threw out the security staff we had hired for the event and Bipasha’s security
and gave the media people present there her room number at 1.20 in the night.
Things only got uglier from there on, and we told the waiting media people that
she will make a statement in the morning before leaving, and Bipasha did that at
5.30 in the morning. She told them she had fulfilled her part of the commitment.
There is a contract, and there is a spirit of things. After we settled the bill,
the hotel staff is telling everyone that we still owe some money. I have the
breakup, we paid them Rs 7,53,395 for the event and Rs 2,90,000 for the
logistical costs.
It
is they who still have to give us 1,10,000 of the promised four lakhs.”
Tanuja, Bipasha’s publicist, says: “Our friend helped us get out of the
hostage-like situation in 2 cars, a Honda City and a D’zire was arranged by him
to drop us to the airport.”
‘We got a call at 2.30 am for vehicles’
The friend who sent Bipasha the cars in the morning, says: “Bipasha’s a friend.
We got a call at around 2-2.30 in the night and they said that they needed cars
to go to the airport in the morning. At that point, I called my office staff in
Delhi and sent them a couple of cars for Bipasha. In fact, these were my
personal cars.”
‘Hamara toh image hi kharaab ho gaya’
Ashok Mittal, chairman, Ramada Plaza, says: “The deal was that we will be the
hospitality partners, and as part of the deal, we were to give free room,
suites, boarding and lodging, high tea for 150, dinner for 100 people, the
banquet hall for the press conference complimentary, plus Rs 4 lakhs to the
organisers. And the contract that we drew up was that she will come down to the
party at 10.30 pm, for a minimum of 15 minutes.
The story of her being heckled is nonsense. From the time she landed at 12 pm
till the 5.30 in the morning on Saturday, when we finally facilitated her safe
exit from the hotel room because mediapersons were waiting for her right outside
her room, I haven’t met her even once. In fact, when she landed, I sent my
personal car – the BMW – to get her picked up and later, gave her a car to
ensure she’s safely dropped at the airport in the morning.
Everything was fine till 9 pm. At 10.30 she was supposed to come down to the
party as planned. At 10.55, I checked, and was told that she was coming down in
10-15 minutes. Then it turned to 11.30, so I decided to go and take a look
myself. At the lift lobby on Bipasha’s floor, I met three or four people – from
Shemaroo, and a lady, who told me ‘Iss kaam ke liye toh woh 30 lakh rupiye leti
hai.’ Later, I discovered that the lady is Tanuja, Bipasha’s PR. I had a friend
with me, he said we will lose face. Please take 4-5 lakh rupees more and ask her
to come down. But she did not agree to this. Hamara toh image kharab ho hi gaya
tha, but I did not want a scuffle. So I told them, in that case, pay the bill of
whatever cost has been incurred and excuse me out of this whole mess. They paid
the bill immediately, it was 10.44 lakh, via credit card. Then, we informed the
press. And then, I went my way. The press must’ve got upset, I don’t know how
they got her room number, but they all went and began to bang on the door. I
came to know of this at around 1.30 am. I got concerned for Bipasha’s safety and
since the hotel rules say that we cannot have outside security people after a
certain point in the night, we got our guards to guard Bipasha’s room. And in
the morning, we also ensured that she was safely dropped off to the airport.”
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