In late May, the Tiger 3 team had to pull down the elaborate set at SRPF Grounds in Goregaon, Mumbai, after it was partially damaged by Cyclone Tauktae. At the time, producer Aditya Chopra was against the idea of reconstructing the set — a replica of a busy Middle Eastern market — hoping that in the months to come, the team could instead fly down to the UAE and shoot the sequences at the original locations. Now, after a rethink, Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma have had the set rebuilt from the ground up so that Salman Khan can immerse himself again in the world of the big-budget spy thriller.

It is heard that the superstar reported to the Goregaon set earlier this week. “Since late September, Salman had been shooting for the film at the Yash Raj Studios in Andheri. The production design team was simultaneously rebuilding the set. It will serve as the backdrop for several heavy-duty action scenes where Salman’s RAW agent Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger and Katrina Kaif’s character Zoya Humaimi will take on the bad guys. On Monday, the director canned a bike chase sequence featuring Salman and the baddies,” reveals a trade source. 

Soon after completing the set-piece over two days, Khan left for Riyadh on Wednesday morning. The next few weeks will see him jump from one project to another. The source adds, “He flew out for Da-Bangg The Tour Reloaded show that is slated for December 10. He will fly back to the country on December 11, heading straight to the Bigg Boss sets for the Weekend Ka Vaar shoot. After that, Salman will resume filming of Tiger 3 from December 13 at the SRPF Grounds. The stint will go on till Christmas.”

Many TV show producers moved their units to different states after shootings in Maharashtra came to a halt in mid-April due to the spike in Coronavirus cases. Now, with the new government resolution (GR), which will mark the unlock phase in various stages, makers are looking forward to returning to Mumbai. However, confusion regarding the shooting hours has them hit the panic button. According to the GR, shoots will be allowed to take place from 7 am to 5 pm in a bio-bubble. The producers are of the opinion that they would need a full shift of 12 hours to meet the telecast demands and deadlines.

Talking about the challenges that makers are bound to face, J D Majethia, who is the producer of Wagle Ki Duniya - Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey and also the chairman of Indian Films and Television Producers Council (IFTPC), says, “We hope shoots resume in Maharashtra later this month. We are waiting for an official announcement from the state government regarding the date. While other challenges like winding the current storyline that was tweaked to accommodate the change in the location, and shooting in a bio-bubble, can be dealt with easily, our biggest concern is the number of shooting hours. It’s practically impossible to shoot an episode in 10 hours when the show is telecast six days a week.” 

He further adds, “We should not forget that the monsoon is all set to arrive in Mumbai, which tends to delay the shooting process. We hope that the authorities will take our request into account and extend the number of hours.”

Show makers are keen to return to Mumbai, but there are various production matters that need to be taken care of. Amir Jaffar, who has three shows on air (Tujhse Hai Raabta, Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha and Qurbaan Hua), shares, “Everyone is eagerly waiting to return home. It will be good to be back, ghar toh jaane milega sabko. However, before that, we have to take stock of a lot of things. First and foremost is the renovation of the set owing to the damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae. Apart from that, we still need clarity over the shooting hours. One would need a full shift to finish work and meet the deadline.”

Sumeet Mittal, producer of shows like Barrister Babu and Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye, says, “I have heard that the issue of shooting hours is going to be reviewed soon. The practical aspect of shooting will be put forward to the authorities again. While I am not certain about the date when the shoot will resume in Maharashtra, I hope we are granted sufficient shooting hours. We will be shooting in a bio-bubble and strictly adhering to the protocols.”

However, Saurabh Tewari, the producer of Pinjara Khubsurti Ka, says that a bio-bubble isn’t a foolproof way of working. He adds, “It’s not possible to make actors stay on set, and one can’t be certain that there will be no contact with the outside world. Since there are a lot of uncertainties around the resuming of the shoot in Maharashtra, I believe that most producers will continue working the way they have been for the past one-and-a-half months for some more time till we get clarity and shooting resumes in Mumbai. We will have to wait to see what kind of restrictions come into force. It’s better to return home when the restrictions are minimum and the situation is better and under control.”

In mid-May, Cyclone Tauktae not only wreaked havoc in Mumbai but also brought tonnes of trash — that had been callously thrown in the sea over the years — back to its beaches. In the following days, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers cleared over 153 metric tonnes of garbage from the beaches.

Maniesh Paul, in a mark of support, donated an undisclosed amount to the selfless workers who cleaned up the nine beaches, including Juhu, Versova, Mahim, and Girgaon. Not only that, the actor-host provided the team with ration kits that included a month’s supply of rice, lentils and other essentials.

Chinu Kwatra of Khushiyaan Foundation that organised the donation drive, shares, “It is heartening to witness people like Maniesh coming forward to help the BMC safai karamcharis, who had been toiling hard on the beaches to clear up the waste spewed by the sea. He provided ration kits to the families as a mark of respect and admiration for their hard work towards society.”

Cyclone Tauktae might have passed on, but it has left behind a trail of destruction and disruptions. Actor Ronit Bose Roy, who is currently in Goa with his family, experienced the aftermath of the storm, with no water or electric supply for five days.

“Our house is right next to the coast. The intensity of the cyclone was quite high. There are a lot of houses on the other side of the hill, but nothing happened on that side. We had to go through a lot as all the power poles were knocked down,” reveals Roy, adding that they also lost their internet connectivity.

The intensity of the devastation was such that even after over five days of the storm, basic services are yet to be restored properly. “Since it was a powerful storm, many trees were lost. And when trees fall, they usually fall on power lines. There was also a water shortage. Aur idhar paani ki supply waise hi erratic hai, and we usually call a tanker. But since there was no electricity, tanker wala bhi pani kaise leke aayega? The first four or five days were quite bad,” Roy, 55, explains, further adding, “Bas abhi dheere dheere restore hona shuru hua hai sab kuch.”

Dubbing his cyclonic experience as “scary”, the actor adds that “one has gotten used to dealing with all this”, referring to the pandemic that has made life so uncertain. Despite the daily struggles, Roy is trying to spread positivity on social media. The actor feels one has two options — either to get through it with a smile, or sulk over it. He is hoping to return to Mumbai once the lockdown is over.

On Friday, mid-day reported that the Maidaan set, built at Madh Island, was among the many properties destroyed by Cyclone Tauktae (The ruined playing field, May 21). This comes as a severe blow to producer Boney Kapoor who has spared no expense for the ambitious Ajay Devgn-led sports drama. Only months after the film went on floors in August 2019, the producer zeroed in on a 16-acre plot in Madh Island, where a huge makeshift stadium was built to shoot the football matches.

A unit member recounts that the set was first dismantled in May 2020 in the wake of the first lockdown. “After things improved, we rebuilt it in November 2020. The unit resumed work on February 14 this year at a Powai studio, and went on to shoot four crucial football matches at the Madh Island set-up. But the filming was stalled soon after due to the junta curfew,” says the source.

The multi-crore makeshift stadium was retained in the hope that director Amit Ravindernath Sharma would shoot the remaining matches at the venue as soon as the restrictions were eased. Hardly had anybody anticipated a cyclone that would leave the site — comprising eight make-up rooms, a hall for junior artistes, a standalone room for production control and 26 toilets — ravaged. The source adds, “Boney has suffered serious losses. Almost 80 per cent of the site is damaged. About 10 days of landscaping will be required to revamp the ground, but the surrounding areas will take more time. The monsoon will pose another problem. The set will have to be recreated by September so that the pending four matches can be wrapped up.”

Though devastated, Kapoor is grateful that those present on the premises were not hurt. “We had a team of curators, staff members and security at the venue. Thankfully, nothing happened to them,” says the producer, before taking stock of the damage to property. “I will have to build the set for the third time. It took us six months to construct it the first time, and a couple of months to rebuild it last year. Hopefully, this time, we’ll reconstruct it in one-and-a-half months.” The film is eyeing an October release.

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Even before the entertainment industry could recover from the blow dealt by the Covid-19 last year, came its second wave. And now, cylcone Tauktae. While it hit the western coast hard, particularly hit has been the set of Ajay Devgn-starrer Maidaan. Recently rebuilt by producer Boney Kapoor after it was dismantled last year, it will have to be rebuilt again

“Now, I will have to construct the set for the third time as due to the cyclone 70-80% of the set has been destroyed,” says Kapoor, adding, “What I am going through is horrible. I don’t want to be reminded of it. If I think about the pressure or feelings or loss, I will start crying. If I think about the budget overshooting and expenses piling up, I might go into depression. Mera dil hi nahin kar raha ke set dekhun abhi. All I know and I am doing is staying positive and thinking positive. Thank God, there was no casualty and no one was injured. Luckily all 40-50 people who were on the set were fine. It would have been worse had anything happened to anyone.”

When they built the set this year, they were able to shoot 50% of the matches for the film. Then the lockdown was announced and shoots were halted. Now, shoot for 20 odd days is left and it needs particular sets to shoot the matches. “Last year, when we dismantled, materials could be reused. But after destruction in a cyclone, hardly anything is salvageable. I had eight makeup rooms, 26 bathrooms, different sets, but most of it is gone. We had an eight-camera setup and specialised equipment to capture players while playing,” he shares.

As several films are stuck due to theatres being shut, Kapoor says he can understand what producers are going through. “Someone’s pain is bigger than others but we are all affected. Everyone is going through this painful journey. I might be the most affected person in the industry right now. It is not just about many projects of mine facing delay in release but also having to put up a set for the third time. Imagine that! I am a theatre person and will release my films in theatres. I am waiting for them to open,” ends the 65-year-old.

Deepika Singh, who is also an accomplished dancer, regularly posts videos of her dancing skills on social media. However, the actress was trolled after she put up pictures of posing with uprooted trees and a video of dancing in the rain after Cyclone Tauktae caused considerable damage in Mumbai recently.

A netizen remarked, “People are dying due to the cyclone and you are enjoying this. What a shame,” after Deepika posted the pictures.

We spoke to Deepika about this and she said, “I live in a flat, which is on the ground floor. This was a tree that we had planted many years ago outside our house, which unfortunately fell during the cyclone. The tree fell on our car and my husband Rohit and I stepped out in the rains to move it from the car. During that time, my husband thought of clicking a few pictures. It was just something we did spontaneously. I am sad for all those who were affected due to the cyclone and didn’t mean to be insensitive by posing near an uprooted tree. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to do something like that.”

On the work front, Deepika was last seen in the show Kavach - Mahashivaratri. Why has been missing from the small screen? “After Kavach, I consciously kept away from the small screen. There is a perception among filmmakers that if TV actors continue doing TV shows, they won’t be serious about doing films. I want to explore other mediums, too. In the meantime, have kept myself busy with dance — I’ve been teaching dance virtually and also updating my classical dance skills. I shot for a film, too, but it is too early to talk about it.”

Cyclone Tauktae, which hit the western coastal region of India early this week, caused widespread property damage in all affected areas, uprooting trees and ravaging houses. Rajeev Khandelwal, who is currently in Goa with his wife, says that the severe cyclonic storm resulted in power cuts for 72 hours in his locality. The reconstruction work is still going on to restore normal community activities that were disrupted.

The actor says, “We had to boil tap water to drink and burn candles at night. We are still recovering. There’s no internet connectivity, and while we got back electricity after 72 hours, there are so many people around my town whose electricity is yet to be restored. I went to buy some essentials and saw the devastation that has been caused. So many trees and electric poles have fallen!”

The Marzi actor says that even though the cyclone battered the areas around his house, it couldn’t deter the spirit of the locals, who are now working together to get life back on track. “I see everyone helping each other, trying to find a way they can charge inverters to get minimum electricity. Considering the horrors of the Coronavirus pandemic, the destruction caused by Tauktae looks very small,” shares the 45-year-old.

After wrapping up his shoot in April, Khandelwal flew to Goa and plans on spending a few more months there. He tells us, “We stay in a quiet locality surrounded by the forest. I grow a lot of vegetables and fruits on my jungle farm. We plan to stay here for a while and help the elderly around until things get better.”

“I do miss being in front of the camera, but I’m not desperate to be seen. I don’t feel the need to constantly post on social media. I would rather be writing and creating a piece of furniture here in Goa, using natural raw materials,” the actor ends.

(From left) The set of Tiger 3 was built at SRPF Ground, and Gangubai Kathiawadi, at Film City

Cyclone Tauktae battered Mumbai with rains and gusty winds on Monday, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Film and television sets spread across different locations in the city that have been standing unused since April 15 due to the suspension of shoots, too suffered at the hands of nature’s fury.

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali had an elaborate set built at Film City for the final stint of Gangubai Kathiawadi. “Ahead of the monsoons last year, Bhansali sir had the entire area covered to ensure minimum damage. The move benefitted him immensely as the set-up remained unscathed despite Monday’s torrential rains,” reveals a source.

It is heard that some producers sent workers to Film City to cover their sets when news of the cyclone was announced over the weekend. Salman Khan was shooting for Maneesh Sharma’s Tiger 3 before the junta curfew was imposed in Maharashtra. The source reveals that a set-up, along the lines of a Dubai market, had been created at the SRPF Ground in Goregaon for the stint. “The outdoor set-ups of Tiger 3 and Junaid Khan’s Maharaja [tentatively titled], which was built in Marol, have been slightly impacted.”

The make-believe worlds of television shows have been hit harder. Birendra Nath Tiwari, president, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), says, “Film City, which is largely a green belt, has suffered the most. Thankfully, shoots were suspended in the city, so there has only been damage to property, and no loss of lives. That said, there has been mass-scale destruction of sets.” A wall has apparently caved in on the site where popular show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai used to be filmed.

The television industry has suffered another blow due to the cyclone — all shoots along the western coast have been stalled. “The shoots of web shows and serials in Daman, Diu, Umbergaon and Gujarat have been halted. Things were bad enough in the entertainment industry, and the cyclone made it worse. It will be a week before the damage can be taken stock of, and shoots can resume,” adds Tiwari.