Filmmaker Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions was lambasted by environmental activists and renowned public figures for dumping tons of waste in the Goan Village of Nerul, after wrapping up the shoot for Shakun Batra’s untitled film starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ananya Pandey.
The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) issued a show-cause notice to the production house on October 25.
Here’s what went down.
The crew left unattended garbage in Nerul, locals outraged
Reportedly, the crew of the film had littered the pristine village this month with a huge load of biomedical waste including used PPE kits, face protectors, sanitary napkins, single-use plastic of all kinds, and other unsegregated waste.
The issue came to light after the locals outraged over the foul-smelling and rotting garbage, and started circulating pictures and videos of it on social media.
Apologize or receive garbage at home: Activists tell KJo
ESG noticed the matter after Lokhancho Ekvott Goa, a social movement to save Goan heritage, complained.
Flynn Remedios, their spokesperson, said they would approach the Bombay High Court bench in Goa soon against Dharma for “breaking the laws of the land and not even attempting to make amends.”
If an apology isn’t tendered, garbage would be parceled to KJo’s house and Dharma’s office, warned Lokhancho Ekvott Goa.
Evidently, the film’s team ignored all guidelines
As per the Directorate of Health Services, all medical gear must be disposed of using incinerators.
The waste shouldn’t be dumped but sent to a disposal facility.
Lambasting the film’s team, Goa’s Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane, said, “When permission was given for the film shoot, conditions ought to have been added in guidelines that the entity will dispose of the waste.”
This is a crying shame: Goan actor berated KJo’s team
Goan actor Poonam Karekar Govekar called the conduct “shameful.”
“I am surprised that the national media in India has not bothered to cover this. Would Karan Johar’s production do this in any city? Would he dump such huge amounts of garbage and hazardous bio-medical waste by the roadside in London or Dubai or even in Mumbai?” she was quoted by GoaToday.
Separately, Kangana also slammed the “destructive and harmful” act
Actor Kangana Ranaut also slammed the behavior of the film’s crew.
“Movie industry is not a virus just for the moral fiber n culture of this nation but it has become very destructive and harmful for the environment, (sic)” she tweeted, adding that “film units need strict rules about women safety, modern ecological resolves, good medical facilities and food quality check for workers. (sic)”
Kangana’s tweet can be read here
Their insensitive and inconsiderate attitude is absolutely appalling,film units need strict rules about women safety, modern ecological resolves, good medical facilities and food quality check for workers, we need government to assign a proper department to inspect these aspects. pic.twitter.com/B4ec6sHzNK
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) October 27, 2020
