DON’T FEEL STUCK I KIARA AT ALL, SAYS
While music has helped many to deal with the lockdown, the music fraternity, too, has been impacted due to the Covid-19 outbreak. But they have The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) helping those who are in dire need.
Writer-lyricist and chairman of the IPRS, Javed Akhtar shares, “IPRS was established to help the music fraternity. Our membership is of around 5,000, including composers, lyricists, musicians and post the first lockdown, we gave ₹7,500 each to 3,500 people, and after it was extended, we gave more.”
IPRS has six writercomposers and six music companies contributing to the fund. There are some nonmember musicians, who are also being helped by the board in their own individual capacity, shares Akhtar.
He points out that “entertainment is the first thing” that is dropped from the list of priorities during crisis, but Akhtar hopes that the government steps in to help the entertainment industry. “If we don’t start shooting, there won’t be recordings and people won’t be paid. The way the government has announced relief packages for other industries, I hope they do so for the us as well as we are a huge revenue source,” he says.
The veteran writer admits that while he is “comfortable” the pandemic has made him realise how vulnerable we are. He says, “We are all helpless in this crisis. Life will go on but there should be sensitivity towards the environment.”
After spending two months in the lap of nature, actor Amit Sadh is on his way to Mumbai, travelling 1,800 kms by road. The actor had left for Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, on March 16 with his friends, and got stuck there. But he is not complaining, and admits to having had a great time. “Initially, it was tough to make this decision (of returning), as we were comfortable in the hills where there were no Covid-19 cases. But later, we felt it’s time to go back home,” says the 40-yearold, adding that his house help, and dogs are alone, and he “was missing them and wants to give them a big hug” once he is back. With lockdown 4.0 that has given relaxation to people to travel interstate by road, Sadh feels glad that “those who’re stuck can now return home. For me, going back wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Uttarakhand Government.” Pondering over the situation, Sadh opines that this pandemic has brought to light the good, bad and ugly of our country. “We were brain dead, but coronavirus has given us a wake-up call. It has shown us the harsh realities of life. If people still don’t learn from this, they’ll never change,” he shares.
After TV actor, Manmeet Grewal committed suicide on May 15 due to financial stress and lack of work, Nia Sharma spoke up about the issues actors face regarding payments in an Instagram post.
She says that producers have bigger risks but requests them to clear payments of actors who are struggling including six of her friends, some of whose cases are pending with Cine and TV
After news of Sussanne Khan’s sister Farah Khan Ali’s family facing coronavirus scare as her staff member tested positive, now we have learnt that producer Boney Kapoor’s domestic help, too, has been tested positive.
Charan Sahu aged 23 years, lived with the Kapoors at their residence in Andheri, Mumbai.
A source says, “He was unwell on May 16, and senior
Although
Kiara has her share of watched content on platforms OTT during the lockdown period, there’s thing that one the actor do “in a more wanted to regular manner” but couldn’t
— reading
“I am not books. much of a reader but
Artistes’ Association (CINTAA).
“We often work for 16 to 22 hours a day, and we deserve better. So much is being talked about other issues, but there’s not a word about those struggling in the TV industry. Forget the 90 day rule for payment, I know of new actors who haven’t been paid for their year old work. It is heartbreaking,” she says, adding, “The lockdown is for the safety of everyone but now, the situation has taken a turn for worse. I know of actors who
Kapoor immediately sent him for tests and later kept him in isolation. After receiving the test report, he informed the society and later BMC as well, after which, BMC and the state government authorities started the process of getting him into a quarantine centre.”
Talking about the same, the producer says, “My children (Janhvi and Khushi), me, and the other staff at home are all it’s definitely to-do high on my list. In fact, of books I have a list ready start that I want [reading] to soon,” she
But in the says. meantime, the actor has managed all to finish reading the [film] scripts [offered her]. “That to way, I’m making the most of this period,” says. she
have rents and EMIS, but are unable to pay them.”
Sounding disturbed, the actor says, “If I start taking names of those struggling because of pending dues, the list will go on. Paying a few lakhs may take time, but I know an actor who has been struggling for months to get ₹70,000 payment. Every time he visits the producer’s office, he’s given another date.”
Sharma has made peace with not having shot for two months, says that it feels “trivial and selfish” in the light of the current situation, to talk about resuming shoots. “There are many poorly faring serials that have been shut overnight. We are nowhere close to shooting but when we do, there will be a huge struggle to get good ratings,” she says.
Sharma further talks about threats that some of the actors get from production houses. “A lot of times, actors are told that if they talk about these things in public, or to CINTAA, they will not get work or paid. This is why many keep mum and cry silently. It would take any of these people a few seconds to take a drastic step,” says the 29year-old. fine and none of us are showing any symptoms. In fact, we haven’t left our home since the lockdown started. We are thankful to the government of Maharashtra and BMC for their swift response. We shall be diligently following the instructions and advise given to us by BMC and their medical team. We are sure that Charan would soon recover and be back at home with us.”
She was shooting for Bhool Bhulaiyya 2 till days before lockdown 1.0 was announced. Before that, Kiara Advani was working back-to-back on her slate of films [Good Newwz, Laxmmi Bomb, Indoo Ki Jawani, Shershaah and Guilty]. But then, everything came to a screeching halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And the actor admits that sometimes, she finds it all “a bit unbelievable”.
“Honestly, no one — including me — imagined the world coming to a standstill,” says Kiara, adding that she has “anyway always been a home person”. “So, there’s not a feeling that ‘arrey, main atak gayi hoon (oh, I am stuck)’. But having said that, I do miss going on the sets,” she says.
Interestingly, the actor has been making great use of “all the free time”. “I’m using this to expand my knowledge vis-àvis things that I had been mulling over. For example, I am trying to polish my Urdu diction, and there are so many institutions/universities that are offering free courses. So, the idea is to keep myself engaged in a productive manner,” she says.
Not just that, Kiara is also kicked that she is back in
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his mother Mehroonisa Siddiqui and a few family members went to their hometown Budhana, Uttar Pradesh, last week, and all of them are under a 14-day quarantine. While many speculated that Siddiqui went home for Eid, he clarified on Twitter that it was their mother’s wish to go home, as she was unwell.
Negating Eid celebration reports, his brother, director Shamas N Siddiqui, also tweeted a copy of the travel permission they took.
“Ammi used to take care of our sister (Syama Tamshi Siddiqui). She couldn’t accept her death and has been getting panic attacks,” says Shamas, 36, adding that the day communication
NOTE TO READERS: Some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. No sponsored content does or shall appear in any part of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers. touch with so many people. “I always wanted to reach out to them. Now, I have reconnected with so many of my friends as well as my school teachers. And honestly, it’s such a warm feeling,” says the actor, adding that not many know she also plays online ludo almost every day with her friends and family.
At the same time, what’s really heartening for Kiara is to see the feeling of oneness in people. “Amidst the crisis, it’s great to see how people are valuing basics and finding happiness in them all over again. It’s clear that we all are in it together,” says the actor, adding that among other stuff such as meeting friends and family, an important thing on her to-do list once things go back to normal, is to enjoy a film in a theatre. “And that too, with my bucket of popcorn, but that may take some time,” she says.
At the same time, Kiara is also aware that another thing which “may take time” is a film team “being able to go back to the sets and work”. “I know that it will take some time for film shoots to resume because at any given point, we have 500-600 people on a set. But let’s keep our spirits intact for everyone,” she concludes. started, Nawaz took the permissions to go to Budhana.
Syama died at the age of 26 last year after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Shamas, who’s in Mumbai, adds, “Nawaz bhai wanted to fulfil ammi’s wish. They got their Covid-19 test done, and thankfully, results came negative. Though she’s doing better now, bhai has no plans of coming back to Mumbai. He’ll be back only when shootings resume.”
He also adds that the family won’t celebrate Eid this year. “Hamaara koi apna hume chhod ke chala gaya hai, hum kaise Eid manaa sakte hain?”
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife Aaliya has filed for divorce. She sent him a legal notice on May 7 seeking maintenance. “There are several serious reasons behind my problems with Nawaz,” Aaliya told ABP News. She added that problems between them have been going on since 2010, “but now things have escalated beyond repair”. The couple has been married for a decade and has two kids.