The Bombay High Court quashed the government’s decision to exclude cast and crew members above 65 from shooting. Those concerned welcome the judgement
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 8, 2020)

In a relief for senior actors and technicians from film, TV and digital, the Bombay High Court on Friday quashed the Maharashtra Government’s GR that prohibited those over 65 years from shooting in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is following actor Pramod Pandey’s petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the GR.

The 69-year-old actor had been rejected from a TV show on the grounds of his age recently. “When the shoots began post lockdown, and only those above 65 were denied work, I naturally felt angry and wanted to do something about it,” says Pandey, who reached out to friends from his hometown Agra for help, but to cover the legal fees and other expenses, he had to part with a family heirloom: his late father’s gold ring. “This judgement has come as a sanjeevanibooti for many actors, lightsmen, junior artists and spot boys who fell in this age group and were compelled to sit at home.”

Amit Behl, senior joint secretary and chairperson - Outreach Committee, CINTAA, welcomed the judgement but regretted the predicament of those who were dropped from projects in the interim period. “Our senior members can now heave a sigh of relief and work peacefully. But those who have lost their jobs or have been replaced in the time it took for this order to come through, is an unfortunate collateral damage,” says Behl.

Actor Kanwaljit Singh, who was dropped from a forthcoming web series on account of his age, is hopeful and excited by the judgement. “Obviously, we are very happy to hear this news. It’s a pity that some of us lost out on some roles but that’s alright, and we’re looking forward to doing some good work now,” says Singh, who is to resume shooting for a Nikkhil Advani film on August 23, where he has two days of shoot pending. “We are delighted that it’s come in our favour,” adds the 69-year-old who was replaced by a younger actor in a web series recently. “They waited for me for too long, hoping the age rule would get amended but finally, I just told them to carry on with someone younger.”

Prithvi Zutshi is another actor who had been informed by the makers of the TV show Pyaar Ki Luka Chuppi that his character’s track is going to be terminated as they had to resume shooting and couldn’t wait for a GR amendment to come through. “I was also replaced from a web series that was to commence in March, but began only when shoots started,” says Zutshi, adding, “But this judgement is great news, and I am looking forward to returning to the sets.”

Actress Farida Dadi, 67, who was to commence shooting for the third season of a web series, but hadn’t heard from the production, is relieved too. “The government has finally realised that you can’t force anyone to retire,” says Dadi. “We have loans and this ban was taking a toll on my mind. Thankfully, the industry has always respected elders and I am sure actors and studios will take all possible precautions going forward.”

Virendra Saxena, who has a few days of shoot remaining for the Salman Khan-starrer Radhe and a series among his forthcoming projects welcomes the judgement. “Every film needs senior actors, and by forcing us to stay at home, we were being made to feel old.” says Saxena, who is to resume shooting for a web series and a movie.

Apart from the threat of losing out on assignments, some actors were put out of commission since their productions were indefinitely stalled by the Coronavirus lockdown. “I am thrilled because this means that one can now work but finding work is another thing,” says Suhasini Mulay, who refused a project recently and the two web shows that she was slated to shoot have been postponed to November and January. “It’s stupendous that Pramod Pandey has fought for the senior artists community instead of just sitting and moaning like some,” adds Mulay.

Even T P Aggarwal, president, IMPPA, is ecstatic by the judgement. “So many actors, producers and technicians were grounded. Now thousands from the industry will be gainfully employed again.”

The GR that caps the age of actors on sets under 65 has rendered many out of commission; those affected by the move question the new norms of shooting
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 10, 2020)

When Kanwaljit Singh was informed that he was being replaced in a forthcoming show, he was disheartened. The decision was taken following the Government Resolution (GR) that prohibits actors above the age of 65 from shooting for films, TV shows and commercials as the industry returns to work after the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown. The 69-year-old actor who had been rehearsing along with co-star Supriya Pilgaonkar, says, “On humanitarian grounds, I won’t hold them up. How can I force them to shoot with me? That’s not the right thing to do.” Singh is among several senior actors who are being excluded from projects on account of the norms suggested by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The workers’ bodies, including the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), have been striving to seek relief from the suggested guideline, which potentially affects hundreds of actors. Manoj Joshi, actor and CINTAA senior vice president, met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari last week to discuss the matter, while actress Hema Malini has written to the home ministry, seeking an amendment. “The GR needs to change as many livelihoods are at stake. We are getting calls daily from actors who are being replaced or their tracks slashed from shows. They are sending us their blood pressure reports saying they’re fit but we’re helpless as there has been no movement to reverse this ruling,” says Amit Behl, chief secretary, CINTAA.

Veteran TV actor Prithvi Zutshi (left) was recently informed by the makers of TV show Pyar Ki Luka Chupi that his character’s track is going to be terminated, as the makers plan to resume shooting and can’t wait for an amendment to come through. “My first reaction was, why was this ruling being implemented only on artistes? There are shopkeepers who interact daily with customers, politicians who conduct rallies and visit hospitals. Many of them fall in this age group, but are allowed to get on with their lives,” argues Zutshi, who has featured in over 80 films and 100 TV shows in a career spanning 27 years.

Farida Dadi, 67, who is to commence shooting for the third season of the series Dil Hi Toh Hai, is concerned about the ruling even though her show’s shoot dates are yet to be confirmed. “They called and told me that three-four days shoot is pending but this rule has been implemented. So, I told them that they can do what they deem best,” says Dadi, who started her career in 1959 as a child actor and has since featured in a dozen films (including 3 Idiots) and TV shows such as Uttaran and Haq Se.

While many makers are admittedly replacing talent on account of the guidelines, such discrimination wouldn’t always be as transparent. “No one will tell us and do it, it will happen in the background,” points out veteran actor Virendra Saxena, who has a few days of shoot remaining for the Salman Khan-starrer Radhe and a series among his forthcoming projects. “Those who have partially shot can’t be replaced as reshoots would incur huge costs. And how can you decide that someone is incapable of functioning after a certain age or is medically unfit without examining them?” asks the NSD alumnus whose fitness regimen includes daily fourkm walks and yoga.

Ironically, Zutshi recently received an offer from the makers of a daily soap keen on casting him as a replacement for another senior actor. told them, ‘if you’re taking me on as a replacement on the grounds of age, then even I don’t qualify’,” says the actor, who believes several artistes will be affected in the coming months if the suggested norms aren’t amended or reversed.

Creative fixes
Replacing a character or ending their journey in an ongoing series could be creatively and financially cumbersome. “If a maasi, bua or chachi has been established on a show, suddenly replacing or knocking her off would mean derailing the creative process,” reasons Behl. And even if makers manage to find a suitable replacement or a logical fix in the storyline, it may go against the grain. “In films and TV, actors get chosen based on their capabilities, charisma and the image they carry. If I can’t cast Amitabh Bachchan because he’s over 65, should I cast Abhishek Bachchan instead just because he resembles him and has a similar name?” asks the 69-year-old actress Suhasini Mulay who was filming for a series when the lockdown was announced and hasn’t been intimated yet about when her shoot would resume.

Actor Raza Murad, 69, argues that getting younger actors to replace the older ones would be unconvincing and counter-productive. “You can’t get Master Raju or Jugal Hansraj to play dadaji. You cannot plant wrinkles on a young actor and expect him to pass off as someone older.” But Gufi Paintal, who was part of two ongoing TV shows and a film prelockdown, avers that producers are like puppets and will make do with whatever is available. “Nowadays, they make a 25-year-old play a grandfather and hope that the audience takes it with a pinch of salt. In Mahabharat, not a single actor seems out of place because we paid a lot of attention to casting,” says the actor, who was the production designer, associate director and casting director for the iconic TV show in which he essayed the part of the wily Shakuni Mama.

Losing livelihoods
For senior actors, particularly in TV where post-dated payment contracts ensure most get paid months after a job is completed, savings could run out sooner than later. “We are character actors and are not paid as handsomely as A-listers. If we’re forced to stop working, it may soon be difficult to make ends meet,” says Murad, who was last seen in a thriller series which has been approved for a second season.

Saxena who moved to Mumbai from Delhi in 1985 and is credited for over a 100 films and TV shows, points out that he doesn’t have children he can depend on. He offers a workaround that could protect the interests of all parties concerned. “There could be an amendment that ensures those above 65 are assigned eight-hour shifts instead of 12 and be required to provide medical certificates,” he says.

Singh adds that senior actors also need to keep working because they love what they do. “This is all we’ve learnt. I can’t even think of hanging up my boots,” says the actor, who completed a series and a film prior to the lockdown.

Jaya Bhattacharya, who is feeding strays, transgenders and sex workers during lockdown, shaved head when hair became hindrance; promises to continue good work
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 17, 2020)

Jaya Bhattacharya, who has been providing ration for transgenders, sex workers and all others in need throughout the Coronavirus lockdown, insists she is only a “medium”. The actress, who became a household name playing characters like Jigyasa Bai, Payal, Sudha Bua, Sakku Bai and Vasundhra Pandey in TV serials like Kasamh Se, Kyunki...Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Gangaa, Jhansi Ki Rani and Thapki Pyar Ki, has been working for animal welfare since the last 20 years and points out that she was doing the same when the country came to a standstill.

“While trying to get police permission to get out of the house to feed strays, I came across a group of malnourished women,” she recounts, admitting that she had just Rs 3000 of her father’s pension money in her bank account at the time—for the past one year, she had been in and out of hospitals when her 90-year-old father was down with pneumonia and so couldn’t work. “With whatever ration I had stocked up, we made khichdi, which my staff and I shared with these ladies. After that, I didn’t know where to stop.”

A while later, Jaya realised that cooking so much food in her home kitchen was getting difficult and decided to distribute food packets. After she was duped by a group, her driver Shiraz, who assists her with her animal rescue work, took it upon himself to verify the credentials of everyone approaching her for help.

Support for her social work came from unexpected quarters. A gentleman based in Dallas sent her a generous donation. An inspired fan took up the same work in Turkey and started sending her pictures. Several friends from the industry, some of whom she had never interacted with, sent monetary contributions, including Renuka Shahane, Suhasini Mulay, Sunita Rajwar and Ankit Bathla. Classmates, seniors and colleagues also pitched in. Jaya, on her part, sends them a break-up of how the money has been utilised, along with a copy of the receipt, without being asked for it.

Encouraged by the response, the actress now plans to revive her NGO, Thankyou Earth, which she had registered back in 2010, so she can continue with the work even after the crisis has passed. She also started another charity, Gifting Happiness, proceeds from which will go to the causes she supports. “When a customer from Hyderabad sent me a Rs 10,000 cheque for a gift hamper that cost just Rs 1,500, I sent the remaining Rs 8,500 to an old age home in Madh Island as contribution to a solar water heater,” she informs.

Playing the good Samaritan has its share of challenges. The lift of her apartment did not operate during the initial weeks of the lockdown. So, Jaya and her helpers had to lug heavy loads of food and water several times a day. “And every time we returned home, we would take a head-to-toe hot water bath as part of the sanitisation process. I couldn’t risk my father, who is mostly bedridden, catching the virus. However, despite all the precautions, one day, I started sneezing and realised it could be because of my long, wet hair. I asked Saddam, my aide, to shave my head. For two days, he tried to make me change my mind, but I didn’t budge,” laughs the actress, who insists she has never cared for vanity. “My father was a dada of our neighbourhood. As his daughter, I have to right whatever wrongs I can, from breaking up street fights, reprimanding autorickshaws who refuse to cater to senior citizens to feeding stray dogs and taking care of the needy.”

(Clockwise from left) Yashpal Sharma, Sunjoy Waddhwa, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sameer Nair, Suhasini Mulay, Mita Vashisht and E Niwas

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 12, 2019)

Close on the heels of successful drama series like Criminal Justice, City of Dreams and Hostages, Applause Entertainment, the content studio from the Aditya Birla Group, led by Sameer Nair, announced the completion of their latest drama-thriller, Your Honor. Adapted from the Israeli series Kvodo, distributed by Yes Studios, Your Honor has been produced for Applause Entertainment by Sphereorigins.

Dark, gripping and morally complex, it tells the story of Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill), a judge known for his uncompromising honesty. His attempt to protect his son Abeer Khosla (Pulkit Makol) who is involved in a hit-and-run accident triggers a disturbing downward spiral of events, as Bishan uncharacteristically obstructs justice to hide the truth.

The series, directed by E Niwas, is adapted by writer Ishan Trivedi and produced by Sunjoy Waddhwa. It also features Mita Vashisht, Varun Badola, Yashpal Sharma, Parul Gulati, Suhasini Mulay, Richa Pallod, Kunj Anand, Pulkit Makol, Mahabir Bhullar in key roles.

Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment says, “At Applause, we aim to create premium content that will appeal to the discerning mass audience in India and across the world, and Your Honor is a perfect example of this vision. E Niwas has helped us craft a stunning thriller, and we are excited to have on board a dazzling array of talented actors, led by Jimmy Sheirgill”.

Jimmy Sheirgill adds, “The substance of the story is what convinced me to take up the part. The length an individual can go, burning all the bridges and principles for the ones he loves, is truly compelling.”

Director E Niwas says, “I am excited to mark my digital journey with Your Honor, a show packed with intense emotions and depth of characters. I am glad to have worked with creative minds like Sameer, Deepak and Sunjoy to re-create this adaptation.”

Sunjoy Waddhwa, CMD of the production house Sphereorigins says, “E Niwas has helmed the Indian adaptation brilliantly which has resulted in a truly gripping drama. Our entire team is very thrilled to have associated with Sameer Nair and Applause Entertainment.”

Your Honor will be streaming soon on a leading OTT platform.

Documentary maker Pankaj Butalia remembers the filmmaker — best known for the animation film Ek Anek Aur Ekta — who died at 98, on May 19
As told to Sanchita Das (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 26, 2019)

I first met Vijaya Mulay in the ’70s, when I was running Celluloid, a film society at Delhi University. She wasn’t associated with the Federation of Film Societies at the time, though she used to attend their screenings. She was quite a remarkable person. She had lost her husband when she was quite young, but still managed to raise her three daughters and carved a career as an educationist and promoter of film culture. A pioneer who introduced audio visual material for pedagogy in India, Mulay helmed the Centre for Educational Training (CET), where she made films like the celebrated seven-minute animation production Ek, Anek Aur Ekta (remember the catchy ek chidiya, anek chidiya?). These were built around the Nehruvian ideology of ‘unity in diversity’, and promoted adult education through the ’70s and ’80s.

Mulay also provided an impetus to documentary filmmaking by leveraging her position in the government. Today, this would be considered nepotism; but in those days — when film stock could only be obtained with a licence, and investing in film equipment was not a sustainable option for independent filmmakers — she chose to bestow government film projects on filmmakers to help them build infrastructure.

One such filmmaker was Tapan Bose, who had assisted one of the country’s pioneering documentary filmmakers S Sukhdev and, at the time, was the live-in partner of Mulay’s daughter, Suhasini. The duo, while working on these government projects, made landmark, independent films like An Indian Story (on the Bhagalpur blindings of 1979-80) and Beyond Genocide (on the Bhopal gas leak). In a sense, Vijaya provided ‘guerrilla’ support to some of these early independent films.

While Vijaya does not have a major body of independent documentary work to her credit, she was a staunch supporter of documentary makers and film buffs. In her first endeavour, The Tidal Bore (about a 15-foot tidal wave that moved up the Hooghly river from the Bay of Bengal), Mulay was aided by French filmmaker Louis Malle, who sent her the film stock from France, and Satyajit Ray, who did the voiceover for the film. Her second film, on Hindustani maestro Gangubai Hangal, was completely an independent one.

What really touched me was to see Vijaya drive, even in her 60s, to catch most of the films screened during the international film festivals, dashing between venues. She drove an old Fiat and we clambered into it to hop from one screening to another. She’d park the car and rush into the theatre, unmindful of the limp she had. She’d even consult with us on the line-up of films and the new filmmakers, before choosing what to watch. () 

Suhasini Mulay remembers first director, Mrinal Sen; tributes from industry pour in
MID-DAY (December 31, 2018)

Mrinal da was known for his serious and art [house] cinema, but, personally, he was one of the nicest and coolest human beings. He loved to gossip, and was inquisitive, always eager to know what was happening around him.

I made my debut in Bhuvan Shome when I was 15 years old. I was blissfully oblivious about who I was up against until I chatted with my fellow actors, Utpal Dutt and Shekhar Chatterjee at the shoot. If I had known anything about Mrinal da before [we began shooting], I would have surely developed cold feet. But, once we sat [together] I had no fear. Also, I wasn't aware of the film's success, as I had already left for Canada for my further studied [after it released]. It was only when I was invited for a film festival that I learnt of it.

Later, I worked as an assistant [editor] on Mrigayaa (1976), and that's when I got to know him better. His wife [Geeta Sen] and he were like family. I would often visit them. It was like going to my second home. We would often have heated discussions about politics and cinema, and even the state of the country.

He always had an opinion, and would crack jokes, mostly on himself. The last time I met him was two years ago; a month before Gita ji passed away. He was fragile and ailing. He told me, 'Suhas, you have to come and stay as often as you can since we don't see young people around too much.' I laughed and opened my eyes wide, because I am 66 years old. He still found me young, but, I guess, he still had the image of that young girl form Bhuvan Shome in his mind.

He also gave me the silver buttons from Utpal Dutt's costume from the film, and asked me to stitch a kurta and wear it the next time I came to visit him. I still have it, because I haven't made a kurta yet. I was planning to meet him in April since I was set to visit Kolkata, but, I guess, destiny had other plans. I will sorely miss him.

Sen's award winning films
* Bhuvan Shome (1969, National Film Award for Best Feature)
* Calcutta 71 (1972, National Film Award for Second Best Feature)
*Akaler Sandhane (1980, National Film Award for Best Direction)
* Parashuram (1979, Berlin International Film Festival - Interfilm Award )
* Oka Oori Katha (1977, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize)
* Kharij (1983, Cannes Film Festival - Jury Prize)
* Ek Din Achanak (1989, Venice Film Festival - OCIC Award - Honorable Mention)