Balaji's sets reduced to ashes
By: Vickey Lalwani
November 13, 2005
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The fire at Balaji House
Calamity struck Balaji House on Friday night at 11:04 pm when two of their newly constructed sets (Hum Paanch, Kasam Se) at Hiranandani Complex, Powai, caught fire.
According to sources, both the sets have been reduced to ashes. There was a third set nearby that Balaji had planned for a future serial, which however escaped any damages.
According to an insider, "There were 15 fire brigades trying to do the needful, but they couldn't save anything." The fire lasted till 12:50 am.
While a short circuit is being said to be one of the reasons that led to the inferno, sabotage cannot be ruled out. Says Bhairavi Raichura (Kajalbhai of Hum Paanch), "It's impossible that the sets can be completely wiped out by a short circuit or even a sabotage.
My first reaction when I saw the pictures was that it was a blast. How can there be nothing left after a fire, however major it might be? We saw some pictures at Klicknixon (Goregaon) where we were shooting today and we were flabbergasted. It is very sad. It doesn't get worse than this."
Says a senior actor of Hum Paanch, "If you go there now, you will feel there was never anything there. Sab kuch khatam ho gaya. Thank God, there was no actor present at the site at that time."
Sandip Sikand (Creative Head) told Sunday Mid Day, "I don't know as yet exactly what happened, hence I can't throw much light on the matter. I am rushing to the site," he said. Thereafter, he was unavailable for comment.
However, Shobha Kapoor offered, "Everything has been reduced to zero.
But I don't think that it was sabotage. There was a light which was functioning that time. Some short circuit happened in that. It spread like mad, and by the time the fire brigade official rushed in, it was too late."
Kapoor says that she learnt about it at 11.30 pm. "Later, I spoke to Ekta (who is in Hong Kong with the Kkavyanjali unit).
She was shocked, but soon told me not to worry as would build some new sets," she said, adding, "But I can't reconstruct the sets at the same place. There is an enquiry into the whole incident. I don't think we'll get permission for the same place. I am certainly worried. Hum Paanch is on air, Kasam Se is knocking on the doors. Let's see what to do."
The property loss has run into crores, but Kapoor can breathe a sigh of relief because the studios were insured. "Even the equipment inside was covered under insurance, and hopefully, we'll be able to claim the damages," she says.
The senior actor from Hum Paanch points out, "Both the studios were still not completely done. Kaafi kam abhi tak chal raha tha, wiring etc. It could be due to something to do with the wiring. But still, I have never seen a short circuit cause such horrendous damage. It was something very, very fishy and mysterious."
Another actor from Hum Paanch revealed, "We were supposed to shoot at Powai last night, but the location was shifted to Madh Island because Rakhi Tandon (Sweety) had to leave for Singapore and they had to finish some of her scenes at Madh Island. Otherwise, about 200 people would have been roasted alive. I seriously feel that it was an explosion.
Somebody has done it out of jealousy and frustration. If you look at the pictures, you will sink. We feel that we have been rendered homeless. Na jaane ab shooting kahan hogi, kaise hogi. Ekta had built this set with so much of love and care. It was a sheer toy land."
The shooting for both Hum Paanch and Kasam Se is likely to suffer tremendously. Says an insider, "They have no bank on Hum Paanch and the show has gone on air. I don't know how they'll cope." Kasam Se was targeted for December, but now it is unlikely to be aired on time.
At the scene
Says Abinash Tripathi, who witnessed the mayhem, "It was crazy seeing people screaming, running mad all of a sudden."
Eight fire engines and six water tankers from the fire brigade to calm it down. "This was a grade two fire and was enormous," said an official from the fire brigade. Said A D Jhandwal, Chief Fire Officer, "Investigations are on to know why the fire broke out."
A note sent out by Balaji Telefilms on Saturday said that shooting would go as scheduled as it would be shifted to alternate sets.
The place that got gutted was a new extension constructed right next to the sets of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin.
Sources say that since the roof of this new set was made of the highly combustible material, the fire spread fast. "I was watching a film when I looked out of my window and saw some crackers hitting the roof of the Chitrath studio. I ignored the glowing ball of fire at first. But within no time, it assumed massive proportions," added Tripathi.
No media was allowed to enter the gate leading to the gutted studio to avoid "crowding" at the accident spot. Anxious unit members poured in regularly to enquire if their sets remained unaffected.
— By Anand Holla
