Udaipur, 18 November (Udaipur Kiran). A case of alleged ₹30 crore fraud has been registered in Udaipur against Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, daughter Krishna, and five others. The complaint states that a Udaipur-based doctor was lured with promises of earning up to ₹200 crore through film production.
According to police, Dr Ajay Murdia filed an FIR against Vikram Bhatt; his wife and daughter, residents of Andheri West, Mumbai; Dinesh Kataria of Saheli Nagar, Udaipur; producer Mehboob Ansari of Thane; Mudit Buttattan of Delhi; Gangeshwarlal Shrivastava, DSC Chairman; and Ashok Dubey, General Secretary, Federation of Western India Cine Employees, Mumbai.
Dr Murdia, owner of Indira IVF Hospital, wished to produce a biopic on his late wife and reached out to Dinesh Kataria. On Kataria’s suggestion, he visited Vrindavan Studio in Mumbai on 25 April 2024, where he met Vikram Bhatt. Discussions were held regarding the biopic, during which Bhatt reportedly assured that he would handle all production work and asked Dr Murdia to keep funding the project. Bhatt also told him that his wife and daughter were associates in film production and had a registered firm named VSB LLP.
Agreement for Two Films, Followed by Proposal for Four Films
Dr Murdia agreed to invest in two films— the biopic and another project titled Maharana-Ran. Bhatt then facilitated a ₹40 crore agreement between VSB LLP and Indira Enterprises. Bhatt and his wife requested ₹2.5 crore, which Dr Murdia transferred on 31 May 2024 via RTGS.
A few days later, Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt visited Udaipur and proposed producing four films for ₹47 crore, claiming that the releases would generate profits of ₹100–200 crore. On 2 July 2024, a new LLP named Indira Entertainment was registered. The doctor transferred ₹77,86,979 into the accounts of several staff members linked to the project.
In total, ₹2,45,61,400 was transferred, while Indira Entertainment made further payments amounting to ₹42,70,82,232. The cost of producing all four films was fixed at ₹47 crore.
Only Two Films Completed; Funds Allegedly Misused
According to the complaint, only two films were completed and released. The third film, Vishv Virat, was only 25% complete, while no work had begun on Maharana-Ran. The doctor alleges that ₹25 crore allocated for Maharana-Ran was misappropriated.
Dr Murdia and Shwetambari Bhatt were 50–50 partners in Indira Entertainment. Payments to vendors were supposed to be made only with their joint approval. The FIR alleges that the accused conspired to create fake bills, inflated bills, and vouchers in the names of non-existent individuals, enabling them to siphon off funds.
Bhupalpura police have registered the case and initiated investigation.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
