MUMBAI: At least 15 persons, claiming allegiance to the Nationalist Congress Party allegedly broke into the Zee Telefilms offices at Chintamani Plaza at Andheri in suburban Mumbai this afternoon and went on a rampage, injuring a few Zee staffers, according to the broadcaster.
Their ire was directed at the content of last night's episode of a satirical show Ghadalay Bighadlay which was telecast on Zee's Marathi channel Alpha Marathi at 10.30 pm. According to Zee officials, the NCP workers first went to the Zee offices in Worli where Alpha Marathi business head Nitin Vaidya tried to pacify them, saying an apology, if required, would be telecast on this afternoon's news bulletin on the channel.
However, the party workers then reached the third floor office of Zee in Andheri, Mumbai at 1.30 pm and ransacked the place, breaking furniture, and in the process, hurting staffers. One woman had to be hospitalised.
Ghadlay Bighadlay, a half hour daily show, was launched on 1 December this year and portrays regular upheavals in the political and social scenario in a satirical fashion. Vaidya had earlier told indiantelevision.com that the content is regularly vetted internally in the organisation before the episodes are telecast. Earlier episodes include spoofs on America's capture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain as well as takes on Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
The show had also within the first week, garnered good ratings in major metros in the state as well as elsewhere, averaging a TVR of 1.0.
Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra is scheduled to address a media conference on the incident at 2.30 pm today at the Chintamani Plaza offices of Zee.