In yet another alarming incident on a film set, the ceiling collapsed during the shooting of a song for
Mere Husband Ki Biwi
at Imperial Palace, Royal Palms, in Mumbai. Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Jackky Bhagnani, and director Mudassar Aziz were present on set when the ceiling came down. Fortunately, none of the actors or crew members were critically injured.
Ashok Dubey
from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (
FWICE
) spoke to ETimes, explaining that the incident occurred due to vibrations caused by the sound system during filming. “The song was being shot at Imperial Palace in Royal Palms when the ceiling of the location collapsed, injuring Arjun Kapoor, Jackky Bhagnani, and Mudassar Aziz. Since the location has been there for a long time, the vibrations from the sound caused the set to tremble, leading to further portions falling off,” Dubey shared.
Choreographer Vijay Ganguly, who was working with Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar on the song, voiced his concerns about the safety of older properties used for filming. “We were shooting a song, and the first day went well. On the second day, everything was going fine until around 6 pm when we were taking a shot. We were on the monitor when suddenly the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, it fell in parts, and we had a trough to protect us. Had the entire ceiling fallen on us, it could have been disastrous, but many people still got hurt. These old locations are often used for shoots, and as production companies, we are sure that the safety measures are checked. However, many times, the safety of the location isn’t properly verified before it’s offered for shooting,” Ganguly shared.
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“The director was hurt, DOP Manu Anand fractured his thumb and I suffered injuries to my elbow and head. Fortunately, no one was critically hurt, which was a blessing. Even our camera attendant injured his spine,” Ganguly explained while stressing the importance of ensuring the safety of locations before they are cleared for shoots, especially older properties like Royal Palms.
Dubey added that such incidents are not isolated and have been happening frequently, particularly on temporary structures like Chitrakoot and Royal Palms, which are used for shooting. FWICE has now initiated a drive to address these recurring accidents. “We have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns. We also raised the issue with the Fire Department, which confirmed that Chitrakoot’s structure has permission only for 90 days, yet it remains standing,” Dubey said.
