Payment dispute between Parsa Evana and Farhad Ahmed Ishan goes public

A payment dispute between actress Parsa Evana and director Farhad Ahmed Ishan has spilled into the public, with both sides levelling allegations over unpaid remuneration and professional conduct.

Parsa, who starred in the drama “Nilanjona Express”, claimed she has yet to receive her full payment despite the production being released on OTT platform Bongo in February and later on the platform’s YouTube channel in May.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the actress shared screenshots of WhatsApp conversations in which she repeatedly requested her outstanding payment from the director.

“I have been waiting for my rightful payment for seven months. It’s not just me—many members of the team are still waiting to receive what they are owed. I have received part of my payment, but some of it is still outstanding. I can let that go. But none of my team members has been paid, and as an artist, I feel responsible for speaking up,” she wrote.

She added, “I may choose to overlook my own dues. But what about the production boys who depend on daily wages? What about the young crew members working hard in the hope of building a career? Shouldn’t they receive what they have earned? We all want an industry where honesty, accountability, and professionalism are valued. There should be no place for dishonesty or broken promises.”

Speaking to Ajker Patrika, Ishan acknowledged that he still owes the actress Tk 10,000, attributing the delay to personal financial difficulties.

“Parsa is still owed Tk 10,000. We have been in regular contact, and I assured her that I would pay her as soon as possible. But she suddenly posted on Facebook claiming that I owe money to the production boys and many others, which is not true. Except for one or two individuals, everyone else has already been paid,” he said.

The director also alleged that Parsa threatened to damage his career after he explained his financial situation.

“For the past few months, I have been occupied with my mother’s medical treatment and have been unable to work, leaving me in financial distress. Even after I explained this, she threatened to make sure I could no longer work in the industry. She also shared my personal phone number in her post, which has led to harassment,” Ishan claimed.

He further alleged that production costs increased after the shoot failed to finish on schedule, blaming part of the delay on the actress.

“We were shooting in a rural location in Joydebpur. She spent a considerable amount of time complaining about the lack of a proper washroom, forcing us to leave before filming three scenes. Later, it became difficult to match everyone’s schedules, and she was also unavailable. In the end, we had to release the drama without those scenes,” he said.