"Not All Rags To Riches Stories...": Filmmaker Shares Byju's Horror Story

As the Byju's leadership tries to put up a brave front amid apprehensions regarding its future, many people are coming out with their experience with the edtech major, infamous for its very aggressive marketing strategies.

Among those who have spoken out is filmmaker Hansal Mehta. Recounting his run-in with Byju's, he has shared that he "had to drive them out of the house".

"I'd called out Byjus when they came to my house trying to sell programs that my daughter did not need during the pandemic. They tried to convince her that she was poor academically in order to make an extra buck. I had to drive them out of my house," Mr Mehta tweeted.

The filmmaker added that when he first spoke out against the edtech major, he came under fire for mocking the success story of its founder Byju Raveendran.

"I was trolled for mocking the so called rags to riches story. I had to delete my tweets because of the abuse. As their house of cards begins to collapse it's time to remind ourselves that not all rags to riches stories are stories of honest intentions and legitimate wins," Mr Mehta added.

The filmmaker, whose OTT series Scam 1992 was immensely successful, also shared a 2021 tweet in which he called out the edtech major. "@BYJUS is a total sham. It is material for Scam S4," he had then tweeted.

The ed-tech giant Byju's is currently in hot water. Byju Raveendran has said the company is going through a tough phase, but will bounce back soon.

Admitting that it has been a tough year for Byju's, he said, "Last 12 months we have been struggling. But edtech will stay forever, and we are the pioneers. We are in the correct space."

The company is in talks with prospective shareholders to raise $1 billion to stave off attempts by some investors to wrest control from Byju Raveendran. It is facing slow growth and has missed deadlines for filing financial results and paying interest on a loan.