'Scam' series director Hansal Mehta calls out edtech firm Byju's, gets support on Twitter

Edtech major Byju's, one of India's most-valued startups, has landed in hot water for a host of problems including accounting irregularities, lawsuits, layoffs and board-room exits.

Among the many who have since come out with their experience with the Indian education technology startup, is filmmaker Hansal Mehta.

Read | Byju’s turmoil highlights hurdles for startup scene

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Mehta said he first called out Byju's two years ago when he had to "drive them out of [his] 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," Mehta wrote.

"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," the filmmaker added.

In the tweet, Mehta addeed that when he spoke against the edtech major then, he had come under fire.

"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," he said.

In his earlier tweet, the Scam 1992 director had said: "@BYJUS is a total sham. It is material for Scam S4."

The tweets garnered a massive response from users who were quick to share their experience with the crisis-hit startup.

"I am glad that I resigned from Byju's a few months back. No matter what your role is, forget personal life and physical and mental wellness and slog like anything," one user said.

Another user shared: "I had admitted my child in Byju's classroom coaching. Shelled out 2lacs years ago. Then suddenly, Byju changed a venue to a place where commuting became a nightmare without informing us."

Still other Twitter users shared their views on the idea that the crisis surrounding the edtech major would make for a great television.

"Let this be your next project. I must use this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of #Scoop, one of the best web series ever. Watched twice," one user said.

Actor Paresh Rawal also responded with a tweet: ''Absolutely right! Go for it Mr Mehta.''

Byju's, one of India's biggest startups valued at $22 billion last year, is in the midst of a crisis. Once counted among India's most successful startups, Byju's is now caught in what many see as a governance crisis after it lost board members representing three global investors and auditor Deloitte last week.