Gangs of Filmistan producer refutes Shilpa Shinde’s claims: ‘She never told me she doesn’t want to perform with Sunil Grover’

A day after Shilpa Shinde said she wants to quit Gangs of Filmistan as makers ‘lied to her’ about hiring Sunil Grover, producer Preeti Simoes has called her reaction ‘premature’ while adding there is no favouritism on the show.

Gangs of Filmistan producer Preeti Simoes has refuted the allegations that she lied to actor Shilpa Shinde about casting Sunil Grover in the show. In a recent interview to Hindustan Times, Shilpa has alleged that she signed the show only after makers assured her that she would not work with the comedian-actor.

Sunil Grover returns to TV with Gangs of Filmistan. (PTI)

While accepting that Shilpa and comedian Sidharth Sagar were the first actors to be signed for the show, Preeti said that as a part of creative process, they felt a need to sign someone of Sunil’s stature. This is Sunil’s comeback on TV after a gap of a year and a half.

Preeti told Spotboye that Shilpa had a few reservations during the shooting of the promo. “I told her creatively how we are going to be doing this show and shooting. She was very much okay about it and she was very happy. She dealt with the rest of the cast very well. Shilpa and Sunil are very cordial with each other. We mail scripts two days in advance so if there was any apprehension she could have brought it up but she never told me that she doesn’t want to perform with Sunil Grover or her lines were less as compared to other actors.”

Shilpa, however, has alleged that she is planning to quit the show as makers lied to her about hiring him and then saying that he will have nothing to do with her part. “I don’t mind saying that this show is all about him and others don’t really get a chance to do much. I expressed my reservations to the producers but I was told that his portion is separate from mine. But later I found out that he will be a judge and the other actors will entertain him. They have been shooting his gag most of the time, so if this is his show, are we just props?” she had said.

Preeti said that Shilpa’s reaction was premature and said there is no favouritism on the show. “It is a live stage set-up and not a normal daily soap that you will follow line to line. I would say as the rest of the cast are professionals, who are doing it for so many years, she might find it difficult but she has been so good that this actually never came across that she was uncomfortable with the role she was given or with any line. I think her reaction for not being seen on the show has come a little premature as she has not seen the show. She doesn’t know how the entire episode has been fleshed out, how she is looking in the show. Her fans will be very happy to see her because obviously we would also like to do justice with the actor of her calibre.”