Post 'Aisi Deewangi..' going OFF-AIR, producers take LEGAL action against the leads

The controversy surrounding it doesn't seem to end..

Published: Monday,Feb 05, 2018 14:45 PM GMT-07:00

Kunal Nirmal Kothari

Zee TV's Aisi Deewangi...Dekhi Nahi Kahi ended abruptly a couple of days ago and one would easily remember all the major drama that was hovering around it off-screen.

Be it the lead pair, Pranav Misshra and Jyoti Sharma complaining against their producers to the CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) or be it them wanting to quit the show, things haven't been merry for the past couple of months.

And now, even though the show has ended abruptly, according to a report in Bombay Times, the producers have taken legal action against both Pranav and Jyoti.

The producer of the show, Aastha Naad mentioned how they were in a state of shock after reading Pranav and Jyoti's statement "We were in a state of shock after reading Pranav and Jyoti's statement in the media. We weren't expecting it as they had wished us for the New Year. If they had an issue regarding anything, including fee hike, they could have informed us. They had read the contract before signing it. So, we couldn't understand how such grave issues cropped up overnight. We invest so much time and energy while grooming new actors. If this is what we get in return, God save us. None of the other actors had an issue. We had meetings with the CINTAA and were expecting a solution. However, they told us that the lead actors need to be pampered. Why should we discriminate within the cast members?"

On artistes' claims of being made to shoot for over 12 hours a day, she said, "It happens initially on every set because we have to make a bank of episodes, but that didn't happen on a regular basis here. We follow all the rules set by the trade union," she explains. The producers have now approached the IMPPA. Aastha adds, "We have also taken legal action against the lead pair for monetary loss, breach of trust, defamation, criminal conspiracy and blackmailing."

They also quoted, Sushant Singh, the General Secretary of CINTAA as "We acted on a complaint received from our members (Pranav and Jyoti) that they were under severe stress and couldn't continue with the show. The doctors, too, found them under severe stress and prescribed heavy medication. The producers sought our intervention and we called them for a meeting. We requested the producers to ensure a good working environment was provided to all the unit members, but did not ask them to pamper the lead pair. During the meeting, the actors' contracts were examined, which were found to be one-sided. The contract was for three-and-a-half years. They denied even basic rights to our members by making them shoot for 13 hours a day, 30 days a month. It states that they are eligible for a 10 per cent raise annually, but solely at the producers' discretion. Also, the day our member Nupur Alankar visited the set to investigate, Jyoti had to perform a falling stunt. The production house forgot to arrange mattresses to cushion her fall. As a result, she fell on uneven ground. The producers brought two actors to testify about the wonderful working conditions on the set. One actor said that he had joined the show just a month ago. The other actress was someone whose CINTAA membership had been cancelled recently. To top it all, the producers had also sent us a complaint against her a few months ago, alleging unprofessional behaviour."

He added, "Pranav and Jyoti did not wish to continue with the show, but the producers requested that they serve a two-month notice. After our intervention, the actors agreed to shoot for two months. We also requested the producers to ensure that our members are not treated inhumanely and asked them to issue post-dated cheques of their final remuneration before the last day of shoot. However, that is yet to be done. In this scenario, how is our stand lopsided? It's the producers' right to approach the IMPPA and the court. We will support our members and fight for their rights, which is our duty."

And finally, Anil Nagrath, the secretary of IMPAA said, "We have received a complaint from the producers, citing harassment and deliberately causing losses as both artistes did not honour their agreement and left the show mid-way, leading to its premature end."

According to sources, leading actors, Pranav Misshra and Jyoti Sharma have been informed by CINTAA to not speak for or against on this matter until further intimation.

We tried contacting Pranav, however, he remained unavailable.

We tried contacting Babubhai from IMPAA, who said he was in a meeting only to remain unavailable later.