Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 22: Trouble has mounted for Planet Marathi owner Akshay Bardapurkar after Mumbai police registered a case of alleged fraud worth Rs 85 lakh against him and his associates, including Manali Dixit, Dhaval Shah, Dodha Ahire, and others.
The complaint was lodged by Soumya Aniruddha Vilekar (52), a film and television producer and former business partner, who has accused Bardapurkar and team of creating forged documents — including a fake “Deed of Admission cum Retirement” — to unlawfully remove her name from the company’s partnership records.
According to the FIR, the forged papers were allegedly used to secure loans from Axis Bank and Deutsche Bank without Vilekar’s consent.
Vilekar, a resident of Mulund (W), joined Planet Marathi in 2017, when the firm primarily produced YouTube content. She claims to have invested in the company between 2017–2019, eventually becoming an official partner. In April 2019, Planet Marathi set up its office in Mulund and later produced films such as AB ani CD and Goshta Eka Paithanichi.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, operations slowed, and a new company, Planet Marathi Seller Services Ltd, was incorporated in July 2020, with Vilekar and her son listed as directors, while Bardapurkar remained founder. As the company expanded into the OTT space, internal rifts reportedly escalated.
Vilekar alleged that Bardapurkar monopolised financial control, taking loans of Rs 60 lakh and Rs 50 lakh for business ventures while also borrowing from private investors, but instead of investing the money into the company, he allegedly diverted it for personal gains.
The police have registered the case and initiated an investigation into the allegations.