Covid-19: TV stars come together for short film Goonj, Vijayendra Kumeria says it echoes their plight
The entertainment industry is one of the most badly affected industries due to the pandemic. But, that has not let down the spirits of our actors, who have come together for this beautiful short film “Goonj”. Vijayendra Kumeria, known for his role in “Udaan”, is also a part of this thirteen minute video. Talking about the short film, he said, “‘Goonj’, is a message-oriented short film. It symbolises that when people of our industry collectively voice out their plight and problems, it might result in an echo in the ears of the authorities. That's what the director thought while choosing the title.”
When asked about his views on the industry getting affected due to the lockdown, he said, “From channels, producers, stars, to the Jr technicians, everybody in this industry is affected in a way. We are still in a comfortable position and are trying our best to help our industry workers in whatever way we can. But, for how long?”
“The whole industry is running on a 90 day credit period. The labour laws aren’t followed. Our industry is the most ignored one in times of calamities. The film industry generates a big amount of tax but still it is neglected the most. I think the govt. should think about some relief programs, better tax policies and implementation of proper labour laws,” he added.
Directed by Ghanshyam Pathak, the short film also features Paintal, Liliput, Manas Shaw, Mona Mokha, Monaz Mevawalla and Shardul Pandit, among others. The video starts with Vijayendra calculating his expenses (rent, car EMI, electricity, etc.) and then he checks his account balance. The video shows how some actors are trying to help each other during this crisis, but what about those working on the lower level, like the spot boy. It then features other actors talking about the industry that has been entertaining us since the past 108 years and nobody is even bothered about them during this time.
Vijayendra says that this short film is the director’s brain child and he had contacted a lot of actors, who have a good social media following, but not many showed interest.
“I extended my support because his intention was not to show his creativity or to appeal to people to raise donations. It's for voicing out a message on behalf of the industry,” he added.
