Arjun Bijlani Shares How He Avoided a ₹1.48 Crore Energy Drink Scam
TV actor Arjun Bijlani recently revealed how he narrowly escaped a fraud that scammed many popular television celebrities. The scam involved an energy drink brand that promised payments for promotional work but never paid the actors.
The Scam That Trapped TV Celebrities
More than 25 well-known actors, including Kushal Tandon, Karan Kundrra, Tejasswi Prakash, Ankita Lokhande, Adrija Roy, Harsh Rajput, Jay Bhanushali, and Abhishek Bajaj, fell victim to this fraud. A police complaint has been filed, and five people have been booked in connection with the case.
How Arjun Avoided the Scam
Arjun Bijlani was also approached for the endorsement but decided to step back when he noticed some red flags. Speaking to SCREEN, he explained that he was initially interested but backed out at the last moment.
He shared that celebrity manager Roshan Garry Binder had contacted him for a campaign that required creating three to four promotional reels. Since Roshan was a trusted name in the industry, Arjun believed it was a legitimate deal. However, when the company kept delaying the payment, he became suspicious.
Arjun usually insists on receiving advance payment before starting any promotional work. But this company asked him to shoot first and assured him that the payment would come later. This made him uncomfortable, and he decided not to proceed.
The Suspicious Surya Kumar Yadav Connection
The actor also revealed that the company claimed to have ties with cricketer Surya Kumar Yadav. When Arjun asked if he could confirm this directly with the cricketer, he was told it wasn’t necessary. This raised more doubts, and he pulled out of the deal.
He admitted that at first, he thought the deal was genuine because many of his industry friends, including Ankita Lokhande, had already participated. However, he stuck to his principles and refused to move forward without proper payment.
Arjun Was Offered ₹40 Lakhs
The company had promised Arjun ₹40 lakhs for making four to five promotional reels, with each reel valued at ₹8 lakhs. They assured him that once he completed the first reel, the remaining payments would follow. But since they failed to make any advance payment, he stepped back just in time.
Arjun’s Advice: Always Ask for Advance Payment
Arjun feels lucky that he avoided the scam, but he also warned other actors to be careful. He emphasized that brands should always pay at least 50% in advance, instead of making actors wait for months.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating the case, and reporters tried to contact Tejasswi Prakash and Ankita Lokhande, but they refused to comment.
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