Tunisha Sharma’s death turns into wake up call for TV

Recently, FWICE slammed the producers of Tunisha Sharma’s show Ali Baba: Daastan-E-Kabul for negligence as the set didn’t have any doctor on call, or an ambulance on the set. It has led to a conversation about whether having an ambulance should be made mandatory on the sets of a show.

“The female lead of the show has died, and one lead is in jail. But the makers are replacing and going on with the shoot. That shows that they are only focused on money, instead of the artists associated. Sheezan Khan took Tunisha to the hospital in a private vehicle after committing suicide last month. There was no ambulance or doctor on the set. Why?” asks BN Tiwari, President of FWICE (Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees).

He adds, “We have time and again mentioned that ambulances on set should be made mandatory. People used to follow this during the initial days of Covid-19 pandemic, and now have just stopped. Artistes from our association will not go to any set which doesn’t have an ambulance on set from now on.”

Actor Dalljiet Kaur believes safety measures such as these should be made mandatory. “Sometimes, we shoot at such weird places that if one falls or gets hurt, it takes a long time to get help. I’ve seen it myself where people get hurt, and it takes ages sometimes to reach the doctor. So having a doctor and having an ambulance, might just help save life.”

Adding in agreement, actor Charu Asopa explains, “Having a doctor is necessary. There are times when actors shoot in hot weather, or adverse situations, and might not feel well. Immediate care is needed at such times. I remember fainting during a shoot sometime back, and I resumed only when I felt better. But having a doctor at that moment would have been a plus.”

Producer Nivedita Basu says, “Action based shows as well mythological shows should definitely have an ambulance as they work on more intense sequences”.

However, having one ambulance on every set in Mumbai doesn’t seem a logistical solution to many producers.

“Almost 200 shots are going on in Mumbai at any given time, it is not logical to block 200 ambulances in anticipation that something might happen. It doesn’t make sense to have a doctor sitting idle on set,” says JD Majethia, Chairman, TV division of IFTPC.

Instead, they’re suggesting a tie up with a nearby hospital for urgent care, having one ambulance for 30 sets, CCTV footage in more areas and regular counselling sessions for everyone involved.

“We have a car allotted for emergency situations on our set at every time, to take someone to the hospital if the need arises. It is something which is a channel initiative as well especially Zee TV and &TV. Just a month back, we were having a conversation about allotting a shared cardiac ambulance between 4-5 sets, or a shared doctor for 30 sets. We need to revisit it now, along with mandatory basic medical training to people on set to handle such a crisis,” says producer Binaifer Kohli.

As producers get ready to look into the additional safety and well-being measures on the set, some are insisting on special focus on mental health.

Actor Mitaali Nag suggests incorporating a recreational corner where the cast can spend time to unwind. “It’ll help a great deal with regards to the mental stress we go through”. To this, Alefia Kapadia adds, “Hiring a mental health specialist to visit the set and interact with the entire cast and crew, including technicians is something the production house should invest in… Why can’t every industry invest in this?”