Omar Abdullah objects shooting of Huma Qureshi's 'Maharani' at Jammu & Kashmir assembly, Hansal Mehta responds

Huma Qureshi’s web series, the political thriller Maharani, recently caught the eye of the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah. He wasn’t pleased by the shooting of the show in the J & K assembly and wrote a long note to raise his objection. He said- “The true face of “the mother of democracy”, where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas. What a shame that the BJP driven government in J&K has reduced the symbol of democracy, where they once sat & governed, to this sorry state of affairs.” The tweet added, “They even have a fake CM coming out of an office I was privileged to occupy for 6 years. What an absolute shame!!!!" Replying to his tweet, filmmaker Hansal Mehta also penned a long reply to Abdullah, asking him what was so shameful about the series being shot at the assembly. He wrote- “Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the ‘mother of democracy’? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors(called ‘extras’ by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and understanding- at least from somebody as educated as yourself. In countries around the world we are given use of public places, government buildings, council halls and the like for shooting.”

Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the ‘mother of democracy’? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors(called ‘extras’ by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and… https://t.co/JlvalzhhU1

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 12, 2024

Mehta added, “It is because of this unwelcoming attitude that india is considered an unfriendly shooting location and we often prefer shooting abroad. I have great respect for you but this feels very disrespectful, regressive and myopic.” Huma Qureshi is soaring high after the success of Tarla” and Monica O My Darling. It has been an incredible last few years with one success after another. The excitement doesn’t stop there, as she’s set to release her debut new novel in December. But this week it was about her much-loved series wrapping yet another season. Qureshi recently took to her Instagram to share the exciting news that the shooting for  Maharani  3 has officially wrapped up. In the post, she expressed her enthusiasm for being a part of this remarkable journey. Qureshi wrote, “And it’s a wrap! ! Season 3 Maharani … What a ride it has been! Thank you @kangratalkies, @sirsubhashkapoor, and @sonylivindia for this incredible experience. Playing Rani Bharati has been a true game-changer in my career, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to bring her character to life once again.” the show was wrapped in Srinagar, after a filming schedule in the Valley!”