The Bombay High Court on Friday set aside State government’s ruling that prohibited people above 60 years from sets. A petition was filed at the High Court for quashing the age limit guidelines for actors. The guideline barred senior citizens from being on film and television sets due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the state government allowed the resumption of shoots in early July, actors and crew from different age groups were prohibited. This posed a huge challenge for actors and crew members who earned their livelihood through cinema. It also made it difficult for producers that cast senior artistes in their dramas storyline.
A list had been submitted along with the petition, that showed thousands of people aged above 65 who have been a part of TV shows before the lockdown was imposed. “Even after the shoots have resumed, they cannot be completed due to the non-availability of these senior people”, the petition had stated.
The petition, Advocate Ashok Saraogi, also claimed that these new guidelines are posing to be an obstacle in the way of producers, technicians, and actors when it comes to completing TV shows and films.
Earlier, the high court had also questioned the state government’s decision as it hinted at discrimination for senior actors. It had also said that a person cannot be deprived of his or her livelihood during such trying times.
Reaction to Bombay High Court Verdict
Reacting to the judgment, Suhasini Mulay said, “I am extremely happy that we will be allowed to go to work. I have a Netflix project waiting and we have been told that the shoot will begin in November. By filing a petition, Pramod Pandey has done what CINTAA should have. So far, I had been refusing projects because of this new protocol. I won’t have to do that now”.
“As per the court’s release, the Maharashtra government’s new protocol has been set aside. It feels great to have attempted to bring about a positive change”, says Pramod Pandey.
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