Actor Ankit Shah is squirming in pain. The young, talented actor met with a dangerous accident on the set of the show Peshwa Bajirao, helmed by Sunjoy Wadhwa’s Sphereorigins beaming on Sony TV.
Since the mishap, there has been confusion and communication lacuna between the actor and the makers, leading to conjectures and accusations.
Here’s the back story.
Ankit was roped in to reprise the part of grown up Gotiya (Bajirao’s best friend) and was shooting for the same, a gallant horse riding sequence to be precise. However, on the very first day of his filming, he met with an accident.
Narrates Ankit exclusively to IndianWikiMedia: “I informed the production house that I am a novice in horse riding. They promised to train me for the same. However, on the very first day I was asked to gallop away. The inevitable happened and I had a severe mishap, breaking my right arm. It’s quite painful and disappointing at the moment.”
Ankit further adds that after the accident, the very next day he read in papers about him being replaced. “I was not aware of it. Anyways, there is more to it. The project controller asked me to visit a particular hospital and get treated on my own expenses. He promised to reimburse later. His tone was not comforting, you can say he was rude. Thus, I told him I will manage on my own and shifted to a better hospital. I share a good rapport with Sunjoy ji and Komal ma’am (Sphere heads), hence have faith on them. The replacement news without prior intimation hit me hard. I, thus, decided to knock on CINTAA’s doors.”
Ankit adds that the production house did pay off his medical bills but he will be out of action for three-four months owing to the injury and he is seeking compensation for he got replaced overnight without any prior intimation or legal formality.
“CINTAA is looking into the matter. I am the sole bread earner in my family. We actors give hundred percent when on the set, in return we should be treated better. There was no stuntman on the set and we are not even insured. These are matters one should look into,” adds Ankit.
IndianWikiMedia did connect with Sunjoy and his team at Sphere but could not get clarity from them due to the unavailability of Mr. Sunjoy Waddhwa.
Sushant Singh, Hon. General Secretary at CINTAA, confirming the dispute said: “Yes, Ankit has spoken to us. We have made the production house pay off the medical bills and now he is discharged. We are in talks to sort out the compensation bit as well. We will do what is best for the actor in distress.”
We wish Ankit a speedy recovery and hope the matter gets solved at the earliest.
Later, the communication team at Sphere said that Sunjoy is travelling and once back will look into the concern.
