Two actors exit Prem Poison Panga owing to the COVID-scare

A few days ago, the shooting of the Marathi show Prem Poison Panga resumed amid the new guidelines. While most actors returned to the show, two of the cast members- Swapnil Rajshekhar and Iravati Lagu- had to exit the show.
Swapnil, who was to go to Mumbai from Kolhapur on June 28, couldn’t make it to the sets. Sharing the reason, he says, “On June 26, one person from my building tested positive for COVID-19 and the next day, the number went up to three.Simultaneously, our building was sealed and travelling was out of question. Also, it wouldn’t have been right for me to resume shooting by putting everyone else at risk.” That’s when he and the show’s team mutually decided that he would exit the show. Swapnil’s character Kailas Bhole will now be essayed by actor Shekhar Phadke.
Similarly, Iravati, who played the role of Malati Desai, the lead character’s mother, exited the show due to personal reasons. Iravati, who stays in Badlapur, would’ve had to travel to Madh for the shoot daily and she felt it was a risky thing to do. Speaking to us, she says, “In normal times, I wouldn’t have thought so much. But in the current situation, I would’ve put my family at risk by travelling. The makers even offered to get my scenes shot from home, but security-wise, that wouldn’t have been feasible. So, with a heavy heart, I bid adieu to the role.” Actress Rasika Dhamankar will take over the role of Malati from Iravati in the fresh episodes of Prem Poison Panga now.
— Inputs by Mihir.Bhanage@timesgroup.com