The Bombay high court has kept the final hearing of senior actor Pramod Pandey’s writ petition, challenging the Maharashtra government’s denial to over-65-year-old cast and crew members of films and TV serials from participating in shootings under the Special Operating Procedures (SOPs) finalised by the government for purposes of shootings, on 29th July. The Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) also recently filed a similar petition after Pandey. The high court today (24th July) combined both the petitions and heard the matter. The first hearing had been held on 21st July.
The division bench of Justices S.J. Kathawalla and R.I. Chagla declared that senior counsel Sharad Jagtiani was being appointed amicus curiae to assist the court, after going through the facts of the case. Purnima Kanthariya, advocate for the Maharashtra government, said, she would file her reply on 25th. To a question by the court whether there was any provision to stop a 70-year-old shop owner from working in his shop, the government advocate replied in the negative. Upon this, the judges wondered how the government could stop only old film people from doing work and earning their livelihood.
The matter was listed as partly heard. It was declared that the matter would be finally heard by the same bench on 29th July.