"We didn't intentionally keep Upasana Singh away from the limelight"

Upasana Singh

Makers of Comedy Nights Live, which received bad press after stand-up comic Upasana Singh quit the show, label her accusations of delayed payment and unreasonable terms and conditions in contract as "a selfish view".

Upasana Singh

Singh, who played 'bua' on the show, alleged that she was used for her popularity earlier only to be disregarded later.

Vipul D Shah of Optimystix Entertainment, which produces Comedy Nights Live, says, "Upasanaji spoke to her celebrity manager and the show's director about not having great lines in the show. When we took over from 'Comedy Nights with Kapil' and started 'Comedy Nights Live', she was the only member from the previous show who stayed back.

"It takes time to establish a story and give it shape. Somehow, it was difficult to fit in bua because the immediate recall is with the previous show. We tried, but it didn't work as the equation with the new characters had changed. We didn't intentionally keep her away from the limelight or give her bad lines. It is just her selfish view. We respect all our artistes and I have great respect for her too. She has decided to quit and we wouldn't want to force her to stay."

So, what was the issue with her contract? "It has been with her since long, but she hasn't signed it yet. People often negotiate certain terms and that takes time. Also, there is no 'We can throw you out of the show in 24 hours' clause in the contract. We can't fire anyone in 24 hours. We don't want to give this matter too much importance," he asserts.

Shah adds that he would clear her pending dues, but she has to sign the contract for that first.