SHOOTING BLUES

Actress Ashalata Wabgaonkar, 79, was shooting Sony Marathi’s mythological daily Aai Majhi Kalubai in Satara, Maharashtra, when she tested positive for Covid along with 20-plus members on the show. While most were home quarantined, Ashalata was admitted to a private hospital. A week later, on September 22, she succumbed to the virus. A dance group called in from Mumbai for a song sequence to be featured in the show is reported to have passed on the virus to the crew. The actress’s demise was a worrying reminder of the dangers the elderly face as they resume work in an atmosphere where even adhering to recommended precautions is proving to be an inadequate shield against the virus.

In July, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) had filed a petition