Cyclone Tauktae leads to heavy losses, sets of Tiger 3, Maidaan, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and many TV shows damaged

Cyclone Tauktae, which recently hit Maharashtra, has led to a lot of destruction, amid the already ravaging Covid pandemic. While shoots were on hold in the state to curb the rising Covid-19 cases, sets of various films and television shows were still standing, but the cyclone struck, affecting most of them.

Producer Boney Kapoor had told us about the losses he had to face because of the destruction on Maidaan’s sets, the film starring Ajay Devgn. Similarly, sets of Salman Khan’s Tiger 3, Ranbir Kapoor’s Brahmastra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi’, too, have been damaged, at Mumbai’s Film City.

B N Tiwari, President, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), says, “Some TV shows of Balaji Telefilms have also been affected. People might have gone somewhere else to shoot for now, but all the sets were still erected in the compound of Film City. Going outside Mumbai was temporary and all teams were planning to come back and shoot here once the restrictions were lifted. Nuksaan toh kafi hua hai.”

This destruction would obviously mean increased costs for the makers, who had already been incurring losses in the pandemic.

“The producers’ federation wants the government to give permission to do the repairs, as the longer it’s delayed, the losses will be high. The artists anyway won’t go inside except the few people for the repairs. We’re requesting the government to allow it thus, so work can begin the moment we can resume shoots. The Mumbai rains will start soon as well,” Tiwari reasons.

Apart from films, sets of many TV shows too have been impacted. JD Majethia, Chairman, TV division of IFTPC, and producer of the on-air show Wagle Ki Duniya, reveals the losses he has to borne.

“The cyclone broke the bordering wall, there was also a hole in the roof. We had started thinking through in advance. The damage could have been more, as there were a lot of trees around the set. Thankfully, we’re shooting in Silvassa. One-two people from our team were already there and they’re looking after the set. I like to look at things in a positive way, had we been shooting on that set there could have been some casualty of human life,” he says.

A source tells us about more sets which had to face damage. “Another Yash Raj Films production (apart from Tiger 3) had a set erected in Film City, which has been damaged as it was in the open. Apart from that, the TV show called Mere Sai has also suffered,” we are told.

Producer of shows Happu Ki Paltan and Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain, Binaifer Kohli reveals the cyclone led to her sets being affected, too.

“In Naigaon, since the set is on lower level, water came in and the roof, too, has been damaged. I know about sets which have fallen in. As it is we were struggling to shoot elsewhere, this has added to it but you’ve to handle things and move ahead. People are facing worse problems. The sets were standing idle, but we’ve to bear the standing costs also, apart from salaries. These are huge losses and isn’t easy at all,” she says.

ott:10