‘Maayka’ mayhem continues

The cast of the show has approached CINTAA after being threatened by the channel that they would be blacklisted

The unrest on the sets of ‘Maayka’ (Zee) has only aggravated. After the channel expressed that it was considering blacklisting the actors for resisting the change in the production house (from Classic Productions to Creative Eye), actors have approached the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) for intervention. 

Actor Sudhir Pandey (plays Brij Malhotra) says, “Yes, I have approached CINTAA. I have been in this industry for long but have never witnessed such behaviour from any channel. I am neither against the channel nor am I speaking on behalf of Classic Productions. I am only speaking in support of them.”

Sudhir continues, “Everyone has the right to choose whom to work with. So do we. My contract was with Classic Productions. How can anyone force me to enter into a contract with another production house in its place?”

Vikrant Rai, who plays Jeet in the serial, was furious at this threat. He says, “How can they use the word ‘blacklist’? Have we committed a crime ? When we had gone to the channel to seek their intervention, we were told that we were not supposed to come there.” He adds, “The channel feels that we are against them, which is not the fact. We are just against their decision. Why is Classic Productions being replaced when it was not their mistake at all? Aren’t channels supposed to be just a platform for serial makers who want to air shows?”

Ashish Kaul, senior vice-president, Zee Enterprises Ltd, on his part says, “Let the actors think what they want to. We are aware of what we are doing. To state the fact, senior actors and representatives of the production house had been called for a meeting with senior officials at Zee and they were given a fair chance to be heard.”

Ashish had earlier said that the channel had replaced the production house because they found ‘the production quality and creative aspects’ of Classic Productions unsatisfactory.

p_sapana@dnaindia.net