Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 7, 2018)

Over a month after a 21-year-old boom operator lost his life in a fire at Cinevista Studio in Kanjurmarg, a film titled Living On the Edge - Deglamourising Bollywood, is scheduled to be screened for filmmakers, members of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and studio owners on February 8.

The film focuses on the issues of safety and sanitation faced by over six lakh technicians working in Mumbai across 90 sets of films and TV shows and will be presented by Amit Behl, Senior Joint Secretary and Chairperson, Outreach Committee, CINTAA, executive member Ayub Khan and General Secretary Sushant Singh.

“This film is based on data collected over 10 years and draws attention to the appalling working conditions, including inhuman work shifts of 18-20 hours and a staggering number of cases of urinary tract infection among women technicians. Director (of the film) Opendra Chahana has been fighting for decades to bring to light the injustices meted out to the workers,” Behl told Mirror.

According to the CINTAA trio, the film reveals details about how, barring three sets out of 90 were actually fire compliant and had all shooting permits in place.

Living On the Edge has been previously screened in Sao Paolo at the annual conference of International Federation of Actors, where it was the main topic of discussion. According to director Opendra Chahana, at the event, several associations took note of the subject as India’s entertainment and media industry is among the world’s fasted growing sectors with annual revenue of Rs 1, 50,000 crore. “My film aims to draw attention to the plight of thousands of technicians of this massive industry,” Chahana said, whose film comes in light of the fire that gutted R K Studio in Chembur September last year, the Kamala Mills mishap of December, 2017 which claimed 14 lives, and the fire at Cinevista.

Twenty-one-year-old audio assistant Gopi Verma died in a studio fire on January 6, bringing a promising seven-year career to a premature end
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2018)

Almost a month ago, 21-yearold boom operator Gopi Varma was charred to death when Kanjurmarg’s Cinevista studio, where the shooting of TV shows Bepannaah and Haasil was underway was burnt to the ground. Now, Mirror has learnt that members of the Federation of Western Cine Employees (FWICE), cast and crew of Bepannaah that Gopi was working on since late last year, and the studio owners have raised close to Rs 40 lakh to help his family.

According to Birendra Nath Tiwari, President of FWICE, Gopi had confided in the unit members that he was paying off a home loan. “This money could provide some relief to his family. The insurance money of approximately Rs 20 lakh will be donated to the family, along with the Rs 15 lakh that is being contributed by Cinevista from their personal account. The crew and other producers have also collectively contributed around Rs four-five lakh,” Tiwari informed.

The fire reportedly started on January 6 close to the studio’s generator and by the time fire engines rushed to the spot, it had ravaged the premises. While 140 people escaped, Gopi remained missing. The following morning, his father, veteran art director Suraj Verma, who had been shooting for the TV show Aadat Se Majboor with his older technician son, Krishna, started frantically contacting the unit of Bepannaah before turning up at the Parksite police station in Vikhroli. Thirteen hours later, Gopi’s body was discovered with 100 per cent burns and was rushed to the Rajawadi Hospital where he was declared dead. Fire and police officials say that it is still a mystery how he got trapped.

“I can’t tell you how depressed I am. I have yet to come to terms with Gopi’s death. No father should go through something like this, it only makes me cry. I don’t want to talk about it,” Suraj said while speaking to Mirror, unable to put into words the trauma of identifying his son’s body through his Aadhaar card and phone.

Gopi was 14 and still studying when he had accompanied his father to the set for the first time. He announced soon after that he wanted to become a sound engineer and quickly learnt the art of sound design to become a good boom operator. Last year, he worked on around 30-35 TV sets. “Like my father, he worked hard and did not gossip. He was always smiling and enthusiastic,” recalls Krishna, who joined the industry long after his younger brother and informs that with three technicians in the family, dinner time conversation revolved around movies. “We only met during dinner and Gopi couldn’t wait to return to the set the next day. In seven years he never missed a single schedule. He loved going to the set and the gym, and clicking selfies but was not star-struck. He only pursued a career in films because our father was in the industry and it was always easy to find work.”

Krishna goes on to reveal that Gopi’s dream was to build a family home in Gorakhpur, their hometown, and he also wanted to open a shop there. “He wanted to be a businessman but that dream will always remain unfulfilled,” he sighs.

MID-DAY (February 2, 2018)

A day after it was revealed that the family of audio assistant Gopi Varma, who lost his life at a city studio on January 6, would receive compensation worth Rs 35 lakh, the Association of Sound Recordists has also decided to offer a helping hand.

The charred body of Varma, 20, was found at Kanjurmarg’s Cinevistaas studio, where a fire broke out on the set of Jennifer Winget-starrer TV show Bepannaah. B N Tiwari, president, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) says, “An approximate amount of Rs 5 lakh will be collected through the Association of Sound Recordists and handed over to his family.”

The development comes a day after Vijay Singh Phoolka, one of the partners of the studio, had apparently offered Rs 35 lakh as compensation to the family. “Following a meeting held between FWICE and him [Singh] yesterday, he said that Cinevistaas will also be willing to give a family member a job,” Tiwari said.

The studio, he stated, would offer the family member a job of his/her desire. Alluding to the interest of Varma’s brother in graphic designing, Tiwari adds, “They can have whatever job they want. If the brother wants a graphic designing job, or one in the sound department, we will be happy to offer him that. Also, we will start an education fund in Gopi’s name for members of the [studio’s] sound association.”

Varma’s body was recovered after his father arrived at the studio to complain about his missing son, who was working on the set.

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; January 8, 2018)

Days after a deadly fire blazed through two restaurants at Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai, a major fire broke out at Cinevista studio in Kanjurmarg on Saturday night. According to reports, around 150 people were evacuated after flames were spotted erupting from the generator room. The massive fire not only destroyed the set of Bepannaah, an upcoming television show, but has also resulted in the death of audio assistant Gopi Varma, whose body was recovered on Sunday morning.

The Mumbai fire brigade sent out eight fire engines and six water tankers to the spot and the fire,which broke out around 8 pm, was brought under control around 10.30 pm.The studio also houses the set of Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi and Haasil,which were unaffected by the fire.

Giving a first-person account of the incident, Rajesh Khattar, who stars in Bepannaah along with, Jennifer Winget, Harshad Chopda and Sehban Azim, said, “We were on the set since 9 am in the morning and took a break around 7 pm. Around 7.30 pm we went back on the sets to shoot. Around 7.45 pm, we heard some sparks. We started running out when we saw fire break out between the ground floor and first floor. We also helped the technicians carry out the gas cylinders and the AC duct pipes before the fire brigade staff could come and help. I don’t know how it all happened, but feel sad that the whole set was destroyed in the fire.” Recalling the beauty of the set, he added, “Harshad and I would marvel at the beauty of the set. There were two sets, the one that was supposed to be my house is totally gutted. We don’t know how or when we will be able to start shooting again.”

The actor was also shocked to learn of Gopi’s death. He said, “We were continuously doing the head count, asking everyone if all had been rescued. We thought we had rescued everyone, but didn’t realise that Gopi was trapped inside. I was working with him for a month now and this is really sad. He was a sincere guy helping with the sound recordings.”

There have been fire accidents on the sets of TV shows in the past. A couple of months back, Super Dance 3 set was gutted in a fire that broke out at RK Studios.