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Driven up the wall - Rajeev Masand
This week's easy blind item from Rajeev Masand ;-)
Representatives of a leading time-wear brand were reportedly horrified last week when they received a bill for fees they were asked to pay the staff of their superstar ambassador following a promotional event he participated in at a five-star hotel barely a stone’s throw away from his home. Among other things, they were expected to cough up Rs 8,000 as ‘Driver’s Charges’, a fee they balked at.
When they complained to the actor’s staff that Rs 8,000 seemed like an unreasonable sum for chauffeuring the star such a short distance, they were allegedly told they could take up any issue they had with the actor himself. Recognising the fact that they were being exploited by his staff, who were well aware they would never approach their boss to save a few thousand rupees, the brand representatives paid up the full amount.
But they’ve been grumbling to anyone who’s willing to listen that this isn’t the first time the actor’s staff has tried to swindle them ruthlessly. On a previous occasion, when the star participated in an ad shoot for the brand, organised at his own home, they were slapped with a fat bill—including an amount allocated to ‘Driver’s Charges’. On pointing out to the star’s manager that the shoot was conducted right on the actor’s personal premises, and hence there was no question of the star being driven around on account of the brand, those charges were reluctantly knocked off the bill.
