On March 22,
when the lockdown was announced owning to the coronavirus pandemic, all
businesses, industrial and commercial activities came to a sudden halt. The
television and film industry in Mumbai saw the suspension of all the shoots.
Massive sets were brought down and thousands of people were left without jobs.

However, the
Maharashtra Government has finally allowed shoots to resume in non-containment
zones following strict measures. It has issued a 16-page long set of guidelines
for producers to follow. The guidelines include allowing 33 per cent crew
(which will not include the main cast) on the sets, carrying staff identification
cards, and downloading of the Aarogya Setu app on compatible devices.

That’s not
all, the state government’s order also mentioned that any actor above the age
of 65 will not be allowed on the sets.

Considering
the same, the Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government to explain
the reasoning behind the prohibition on filming for cast and crew over 65 years
of age. A petition filed by actor Pramod Pandey was heard by the High Court on
July 21.

Can shoots
go on without senior actors? Are the producers comfortable with compromising
the content and realistic cinema and TV?

Actor and
Producer Anita Kanwal, known for serials like ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata hai’,
‘Chanakya’, ‘Shanti’, and ‘Sonpari is not happy with the decision. She tells
OPOYI, “I think the onus of deciding whether to shoot or not should lie totally
with the concerned person. No one should be allowed to take these decisions.
After all, 80-year-olds are recovering and 30-year-olds who are succumbing to
the virus. Many actors have no source of income. Actors don’t get a pension or
any retirement benefits. How are they supposed to make ends meet?”

She feels
that it is not possible to make a show without senior actors. The ‘Sasural
Genda Phool’ actor says, “I think if producers are planning to put whitener on
30-year-olds and cast them as dada-dadi, it’s highly ridiculous. Anyway, in
India, the gap between the actual age and screen age of actors is too much.
Look at foreign shows, at least, people are playing characters of their age. It
is so much more relatable. We will be further compromising with the quality of
our content.”

Deepak
Qazir, an actor and production manager, known for ‘Kasautii Zindagi Kay’,
‘Pardes’, and ‘Roop Ki Raani Choron Ka Raja’ tells us that he is willingly not
working. “I have decided not to venture out to the studios and shoot because I
am not sure about this pandemic and its pattern and behaviour.”

He adds,
“But I am against this silly order. Many of my friends/actors have been
replaced and made sit at home. A court case has been filed and the hearings are
going on. Let’s see what happens next.”

Actor
Rituraj Singh says, “I’m not in total agreement with the aspect of not letting
senior actors work. I feel there should be a consideration about their health
and if found satisfactory they should be allowed to work.”

The actor has played roles in several Indian TV
shows like ‘Banegi Apni Baat’, ‘Jyoti’, ‘Hitler Didi’, ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’,
‘Laado 2’, among others. He adds, “It will be difficult to work without senior actors
since many stories would have characters of that age and using techniques to
make a younger person look aged does not always have good results.”