'Not making a comeback to stand behind and clap’, Shilpa Shinde's accusation against Gangs of Filmistan makers; producer Preeti Simoes clarifies

Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain fame and Bigg Boss 11 winner Shilpa Shinde is currently in news for her new comedy show, Gangs of Filmistan. After the promo of the show went on air, Shilpa Shinde claimed that the artists are being tortured on the sets and are asked to work round the clock. She also stated that she plans on quitting the show, and expressed her displeasure about the producers hiding the fact that comedian-actor Sunil Grover is also a part of the show. Shilpa Shinde revealed all this exclusively to ETimes TV. Contrary to these claims, one of the show's creative producers, Preeti Simoes told ETimes TV that they are open to sorting out any differences or misunderstandings with Shilpa. Read this interview to know more about this matter in detail. (By Vijaya Tiwari)

'The makers have lied to me a lot from day one about the show. We have been shooting from 7 am in the morning to 11 in the night. I don't know where these association people are. Why don't they notice this? How the artists are being exploited. They are always there to sabotage someone's image, but now when we are working for 12 hours or more sometimes, nobody is raising a question. Artists get tired of shooting non-step as this time we are doing comedy non-stop in a daily soap format for 1 hour. We were told that we will shoot for the show only twice in a week and we are ending up shooting everyday. We are getting tortured,' says Shilpa Shinde.(Photo: Instagram)

Shilpa Shinde narrated the plight of her co-actor Siddharth Sagar, and said, "I saw that day 'bechara' Siddharth Sagar was in every gag the other day. He was so tired and had tears in his eyes. He was not saying anything because he wants to work. He fears being sacked from the show. He will get banned or he will get boycotted. If you're operating a machine even that needs to rest to function properly. How can you make artists work in such a manner. I don't think the channel is even aware in what circumstances we are working in. I have always supported the team and have given my best."(Photo: Instagram)

I had mentioned first only that I will do the show on one condition that I don't want to work with Sunil Grover. This was my first term but they lied to me that no he is not there in the show. Later, I learnt it from outside that he was a part of the show. I questioned them so they revealed the entire cast to me, I was happy then. They again told me he has nothing to do with your part, he will be doing something else. However, he soon joined us in the gags. When he is around, you can't do anything. He takes over the entire act. We are never given scripts, our gags get destroyed and we don't get to perform at all.(Photo: Instagram)

"I am not making a comeback to stand behind in the crowd and clap. They are claiming it is Shilpa's comeback and what am I doing standing behind. I am raising these points so that the production house takes a note of it and works on it. These will help all the artists to perform better and in a healthy environment. Even I want to do the show, but just think about my fans who will be watching me after two years, they will be disappointed as I am not at all seen in the show. How can I term it as my comeback show," she said. (Photo: Instagram)

From not giving her scripts to not following the new guidelines of shooting, Shilpa has made some serious allegations, "You're going to telecast the episode, whenever we ask for our script, they say it is not ready or we are not in the gag. When we are part of the gags and we try to improvise in the act we are asked to not say much. I am not here to work like this after giving so many years to the industry. I am feeling unwell, I have a cold and cough, but they are not ready to understand even that. Only two days while shooting the promo they maintained all the precautions, but after that, anyone is walking on the sets. So, many writers are walking on the sets each day. Nobody is following the 7 to 7 guidelines. Should I go and complain about them? That day after the pack up at 11:20, I was returning from Filmistan and a police guard stopped me and asked where are you coming from. When I told him I am returning, he told me the shoot gets over at 7, so till 11, you were partying. I was shocked, I felt like recording the conversation but I did not. I felt like telling him to go and stop the shooting as the other cast members were still shooting. They order food from outside from us and when we try to order online, they refuse to pay the bills," stated Shinde. (Photo: Instagram)

'I don't want to work on the show in this manner. It is a comedy show but what is happening. I am not at all happy. I am not at all shown on the show. I can't work like this and I hate lies. I don't want to get exploited. The makers lied to me. I am not working because of the contract. I am not acting after seeing the contract, it comes from my heart. The concept where Sunil ji is watching us do comedy, I was not at all excited. Because audiences are going to laugh at us that a talented person like Sunil Grover is sitting and we are doing comedy. Nobody gets to perform in the show according to their capability, but just because they have done so many shows with the Production house they don't want to complain. But I fear nobody so I am speaking. If you see another show like The Kapil Sharma Show, everyone gets an equal opportunity to perform and showcase their talent. But here only one person is performing, Sunil Grover. It is difficult to match his energy," said the actress. (Photo: Instagram)

'I have spoken to Preeti Simoes and have shared my grievances. They are looking into it and want me to stay back. Now, let's see what they want to do. But I am not happy with the way things are happening. Everyone has worked hard on the show and I don't want to jeopardise anyone's efforts. If tomorrow, I don't want to be a part of the show, I want it to happen amicably and on a happy note," said Shilpa. On the counterpart, Preeti Simoes told us that there's no favouritism with Sunil Grover and we are open to clarifying the misunderstandings or differences of any kind.(Photo: Instagram)

"They are working as actors and we are working as creatives, why won't we give them scripts? We will hire someone for the show, give them money and try to sabotage their career, why will we do that. She is such a brilliant actor, if she performs better it will be good for us only. In her words, if I am utilising her name to promote the show then why will I edit her scenes from the show? There are only three girls on the show and two boys. In comedy everyone improvises."(Photo: Instagram)

"I really hope we can together resolve this. More than anything on a personal level I genuinely love Shilpa. I have worked with her and I have known her for a long time because she was going to join one of my previous shows and then the whole situation happened with her. Through that entire situation, I was with her, I was supporting her because I understood her point. I knew that she was fighting it out a lot of it all alone. I really respect her courage and after that obviously she did Bigg Boss 11 and won it. After Bigg Boss, our web show was the first she did and now this is the first show she has signed in two years. I genuinely like and love her. I just wish she would have conveyed these things to us." (Photo: Instagram)

"I learnt it from your article and I had no idea about it. All these problems that she is talking about are not that can't be resolved. These are very small issues. We are open to talk to her, our communication is open. We have invested a lot of energy to put in this show together at times of COVID. Shilpa also knows about the efforts. We are hoping that we can speak to her and if there is any miscommunication from our level also, and if we have made her feel a certain way, we are always there to clear it. Why would you invest so much time and energy in a person and then not end it on a good note? It is a very small industry and at some or the other point, we will cross each other's paths and will have to work together. So, there are no permanent enemies in the industry," concluded Preeti Simoes. (Photo: Instagram)