Posted: September 1, 2020 8:04:39 pm
Shilpa Shinde made her return to television with Gangs of Filmistaan. (Photo: Shilpa Shinde / Instagram, PR)
Star Bharat launched its Gangs of Filmistaan non-fiction offering on Monday. Even before the team could celebrate the launch, the show generated controversy. Bigg Boss 11 winner Shilpa Shinde, who is part of the show, has decided to resign due to disagreements with producers about casting, working conditions, and more.
In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Shinde shared that the creators broke his trust by incorporating Sunil Grover. She had categorically informed them that she did not want to work with him. While Shinde has no personal issues with the actor, she shared that Grover somehow outshines everyone when she’s around.
“He is a great man and also a great actor. However, I feel like she wants to take center stage when she acts. This is unfair to other actors. The creators are promoting the show as the return of Shilpa and they have literally pushed me back. When they approached me, I told them that I don’t want to share screen space with Sunil ji. However, a few days later, I learned that he is also part of the program. The creators assured me that it will have its separate acts. But that did not happen. Now it is part of all the skits and it has become their show entirely. No one else on the team is speaking, for reasons they know best. However, I cannot bear this bias, ”he said.
Shilpa Shinde has worked with the same team, including Sunil Grover, in Dhan Dhana Dhan. When asked what happened between the two projects, she said: “I also had similar problems back then. However, right after winning Bigg Boss, I wanted to entertain my fans, and therefore took up the show again. Not wanting to have a similar problem, I shared my concerns from the beginning. However, I don’t think things are going to change and therefore it would be better for me to quit. I cannot work where an artist is disrespected. They just took us for granted. “
Shinde also expressed concern about the work culture of Gangs of Filmistaan. According to the actor, the scripts would not be ready while they were on set, so they had to wait many hours to film. “According to the protocols, filming must take place between 7 am and 7 pm, but due to such delays, we ended up filming late into the night,” he added.
Shilpa Shinde recently took a medical leave after she caught a cold and shared that no one from the team even called to see how she was doing. Stating that she feels the creators have taken the cast for granted, the actress said: “In the midst of the pandemic, they should be grateful that the actors are working for them. Instead, they make us work like machines. This is unacceptable. There are no proper arrangements on set, be it food, costumes, or even basic security measures during the coronavirus. I just can’t work like this. “
Bhabiji Ghar actor Par Hain shared that while the channel has assured that they will investigate the matter, she is not keen to return.
Gangs of Filmistaan producer Preeti Simoes, however, had a different story to tell. In talking to us, he shared that Shilpa Shinde has not shared any grievances with them. He has not even responded to her calls and messages. “We are open to discussion and even ready to solve your problems. But she needs to talk to us first. For us, for the moment, we are waiting for her to recover from the cold and shoot again ”.
Responding to Shilpa’s concerns, Simoes said that the audience can compare the screen time of Sunil Grover and Shilpa Shinde watching the first episode. “Why would we have hired other actors if we wanted to do a show on Sunil?” she questioned.
According to Preeti Simoes, Shinde is the highest paid actor on the show, and it would have been foolish not to use him. “Shilpa is such a good actor. Why won’t we make her act? Also, Sunil is part of one gag, while other actors are doing the second gag. I wonder how she felt she was being marginalized given that she played the lead role in the acts we filmed. She can happily pick up the other act if she doesn’t want to share screen space with Sunil. Also, none of the actors have a problem with Sunil or the format. Even Shilpa knew, we don’t know why she’s crying badly now. “
Simoes also assured that the team has been following all the protocols to shoot as indicated by the authorities. “There is constant control by the interested authorities. Also, I don’t think anyone wants to risk contracting the virus right now. “
Gangs of Filmistaan airs Monday through Friday at 8pm on Star Bharat.
The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest entertainment news, download the Indian Express app.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
.
