Mumbai civic employees queue up to play real role on reel

Come March, employees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will don the greasepaint to play themselves in Mumbai Chakachak...

Come March, employees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will don the greasepaint to play themselves in Mumbai Chakachak, a Suneil Shetty production, starring Rahul Bose, Ayesha Dharkar, Mandira Bedi and Cyrus Broacha. It’s only a 60-second shot, they’ve been told, but since the movie—as the name suggests—takes a quirky look at the challenge of keeping the financial capital clean, it’s a silver screen moment the aspiring actors are looking forward to.

After actor-producer Sunil Shetty’s Popcorn Entertainment, offered civic employees the chance to play roles of officials and clerks in the movie, the civic administration issued a circular on February 8 to heads of departments, asking employees to send in applications if they were interested in starring in the film.

Auditions are to be held on Wednesday at the Birla Kreeda Kendra Auditorium.

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Shetty said that the movie lends itself to such an experiment. “Everything attached to the movie will be real. In fact, the main character is that of a clean-up marshal. We, therefore, want civic staff to play parts in the movie,” he said.

Shooting is expected to start in March and, sources said, the film will see major parts being shot in the civic headquarters, in dumping grounds and even capture conservancy staff at work.

“I want the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers to take pride in their work. Citizens know them just as officials. However, they are doing some great work to keep the city clean,” Shetty said. He added that the film, though socially relevant, is humorous and is a “subject close to my heart”.

Stenographer Pradyumna Keni, posted in the Municipal Secretary’s office at the BMC headquarters, has already rushed off his application along with those of six of his colleagues.

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“It’s a good move and we are ready to play whatever role we will be offered,” he said. Keni’s objective of starring in the movie is to tell people that civic officials really work hard. “There’s a general perception that civic officials don’t work. But if we don’t work, the BMC will stop functioning,” Keni said.

Keni, if he gets past the auditions, will have for company IAS officer and Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) R A Rajeev, who handles the city’s garbage disposal and cleanliness operations. Rajeev even cleared the script of Mumbai Chakachak.

“I want Rajeev to be a part of the movie. Maybe we will just have one shot of him in the climax with the clean-up marshals,” Shetty said.

While Shetty did not specify how many employees will be made part of the movie, he said “as many as possible, may be 100 would be picked.” Less than 48 hours after the circular was despatched to department heads, applications have started pouring in—108 applications have been received so far.

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The film is expected to be ready for release in July-August this year.

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