ÂSholay editor living in slums for six monthsÂ
- IndiaGlitz, [Monday,February 14 2011]
Just when the award galore for the tinsel town this year ended; we hear a sad whisper from an 81-year-old master editor from Bollywood who says, ÂI want to get out of this place its sad to see a veteran like M S Shinde, who has edited over 100 hit films, including ÂSholayÂ, ÂSeeta Aur Geeta and ÂSagarÂ, has been living in PMGP Colony, Dharavi, for the last six months.
Shinde is looked after by his daughter Achla,. The family was forced to come in the AsiaÂs biggest slums called ÂDharavi in Mumbai because their building in Parel where Shinde lived for 48 years collapsed.
The building's owner refused to help them, then they applied to Mhada, which granted which granted them this 160-sq-ft room.
The veteran master was paid a tiny amount of Rs. 2000 for editing BollywoodÂs most loved ÂSholay which is still taken in high regard for its technical finesse.
Shinde recently had femur surgery and has a cataract operation scheduled for next week. But sadly, the masterÂs class has not helped him in much financially.
According to our sources, Shinde worked with Sippy Films on a salary of Rs 2,000 (per film), and didnÂt mind the salary because they allowed him to work outside.
Its more shocking to know that a technician who worked for an amount up to Rs 90,000 a film and worked with top producers like Sultan Ahmed, Sanjay Khan, F C Mehra, I S Johar and Bhappi Sonie, has to see his family struggling for daily needs as Achla his daughter used to sell fruit juice and cakes to make a living.
Shinde daughter says that the producers who offered 90,000 to work in their film didnÂt actually pay the said money.
And thatÂs not all, Achla further says that Although my father has won awards for the film, he was never invited to any of its celebrations. We stayed at the building site for a couple of days before shifting to Dharavi.
Shinde spent his savings on getting two other daughters married. My daughters have families to look after, but they help with my medical expenses, he said.
Achla even approached the film editor's association for help but faced disappointment as they handed over a petty cheque of Rs 5000 to her.
While Shinde does not really like to talk about his condition, it was late Dadasaheb Phalke's great grand daughter-in-law Mrudula who found about their condition and approached the cine wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which has now offered to help him.
Sad but true, this is the dark truth of bollywood, behind the glamour, claps and laughter of joy and celebration, there are so many tears and ply of those who made the Sultans, Khans, Mehras, SippyÂs, Kapoors, JoharÂs become famous and leave the people like Shinde to beg for peanuts.
ShindeÂs situation is a demand for Bollywood and the government to come together and plan something constructive for the retired people of the industry.