It's time for soap-makers to pack up!!!!

MUMBAI: The Balaji soap factory may soon have to spin its saas-bahu yarns at another location. Reason? The studios at Goregaon's Aarey Milk Colony, where many of them—from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to Kusum—were being shot, are in the process of being re-acquired by their owner, the state dairy development department.

Balaji, Sankraman and Space Studios, the three lessees of the department, have obtained stay orders against the eviction notice.

However, since the court had granted the stay only on the ground that the due process of law had not been followed, the government has now moved the deputy collector (evictions) to throw them out under the Government Premises Act, 1955.

While Sankraman's lease expired in February, Balaji's ran out last week and that of Space Studios will expire by end-October. Aarey Colony's chief executive officer Parashram Ade is confident that the eviction should come through in a matter of weeks.

The production houses got the land three years ago when the dairy development department hit upon the idea of generating revenue by leasing its properties to studios, restaurants and clubs.

In February 2002, the department gave seven godowns, collectively measuring 38,194.36 sq feet, to Sankraman, owned by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ramesh Mehta. Balaji got four godowns measuring 20,694 sq feet and Geeta Tulsiani, who owns Space Studios, got three godowns of 9,804 sq feet.

Sources in the government said that cultural affairs minister Ashok Chavan recently pointed out in a meeting that the studios were eating into the revenues of the government-owned Film City nearby, which also has production and shooting facilities.

"The basic job of the dairy development department is to provide milk to the city of Mumbai, not run studios," said a key cultural affairs department official in the meeting. Following this, the dairy department began to re-acquire their properties, the first being Sankraman Studios.

Mehta, owner of Sankraman, said that his studio had provided shooting space to small producers at very affordable rates and created jobs for the tribals of Aarey Colony. "When we started, the godowns were in a dilapidated state," he said. "We have invested heavily in the studios and will suffer huge losses if we are made to leave.
In fact, we provide revenue to the dairy development department. In the last three years, we have paid them Rs 1.38 crore as rent." Balaji's GM (operations) Umesh Roy said the production house was talking to the dairy development department. "At present, our interests are safeguarded by the stay," he said.

"But we may well have to suffer a loss if asked to leave the premises. We will have to create alternate infrastructure elsewhere. We have also made an application to extend the lease term by another 36 months, so that the costs invested in the studios are recovered."

Even the Tulsianis of Space Studios have reacted sharply. Said Purshottam Tulsiani, director of Space Studios, "When we took over these godowns, there was no infrastructure. We built roads, electric sub-stations, toilets, parking bays, a drainage system and other works.

We also tiled the studios and erected sets. This cost us about Rs 40 to 50 lakh per studio. When we got into a lease with the dairy development department, we were verbally assured that the leases would be extended once they got over."