Mosquito bytes! ---article

Page

parm11

@parm11

Inactive

+ 3

Posted: 18 years ago

Mosquito bytes!

Back to Section Stories

Aditi Jayakar Kane

Sharad Kelkar and Rajshri Thakur in Saat Phere

What's the similarity between the sets of Saat Phere and the banks of the Amazon? They're both swarming with mosquitoes! While this riddle might have amused you, the cast and crew who are losing their battle with the mosquitoes on the sets aren't amused at all. Two months ago, Rajshree Thakur was ill with dengue fever and now actor Mazhar Sayeed is critically ill with Malaria. And besides spreading diseases, the mosquitoes have made being on the sets an altogether miserable experience.

Says actor Sharad Kelkar , " No matter where we shoot, whether it's in Sana studio at Charcop or a bungalow at Madh Island, the mosquito menace is terrible. I apply mosquito repelant cream once in three hours although I hate the smell, but the mosquitoes still attack. We clean the make up room and sets twice a day, to prevent the breeding but its no use. The worst occurs when in the shot you get this tremendous urge to scratch the bites."

Anothetr crew member said, " We burn the mosquito repelant coil, and spread 'dhua' every evening. We have even given the pesticide contract to a company, but nothing has helped. The Sana studio is in an industrial estate so there are bound to be mosquitoes around."

Now that Mazhar is unwell, the crew is busy changing tracks. Says one, "Mazhar is expected to return by January 21. Thankfully we managed to shift tracks so that the serial could run smoothly." Ask them what they plan to do in the future to combat the mosquitoes, actor Sharad Kelkar says wistfully, "We are trying our best to fight them, but ultimately the mosquitoes are stronger."