The Maharashtra shutdown called by Dalit groups on Wednesday disrupted the shooting schedule of film and TV projects here.
The shooting of three television shows “Piyaa Albela”, “Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi” and “Kundali Bhagya”, was interrupted, while some of the shoots went on as per schedule.
According to a channel source, the cast and crew of Zee TV’s popular show “Kundali Bhagya” reached for the schedule at the Killick Nixon studio in Marol, but the protesters started pelting stones and disrupted the shoot. All the members of the unit, including actors Manit Joura, Shraddha Arya and Anjum Farikh, parked themselves inside their vanity vans and waited for the situation to normalize.
The shoot of “Piyaa Albela”, which was supposed to happen at the Basra Studio, had to be rescheduled. It is shot at a studio located in Kandivali where violence has been reported. Due to security reasons, the shooting unit decided to change the shift from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Now has been scheduled from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.
At the “Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi” shoot at the Future Studio, located at Goregaon East, work was disrupted because of stone-pelting by the protesters, the channel source said.
Two film-related events were also been cancelled to avoid the disrupted situation in the city.
“Due to Maharashtra bandh today, we have decided to push our ‘My Birthday Song’ trailer release to tomorrow January 4, 2018. Thank you,” tweeted the movie’s producer and actor Sanjay Suri.Even the song launch of director Luv Ranjan’s upcoming film “Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety” was cancelled “owing to the current situation in the city”.
Protesters also gathered outside the Film City gate.Asked if the shooting is affected by the situation, Ashoke Pandit, member of Indian Films and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), told IANS: “Shootings at Film City, Madh area have been cancelled as the unit members, especially the actors, could not reach the venue due to the situation outside.”
He also tweeted: “Film and TV shootings have come to a halt.”
The shutdown happened a day after angry Dalits staged rail, road blockades and took out processions in Mumbai and agitations in different parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday to protest against violence in Pune a day ago which left one youth dead.