Coronavirus update: IMPPA urges Bombay high court to quash Maharashtra government's age-limit guidelines

The Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) has moved the Bombay high court against the Maharashtra government's directive prohibiting cast and crew members above the age of 65 from entering television and film sets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMPPA’s petition, filed through advocate Ashok Saraogi, reads, 'As per the list available with the petitioner, there are thousands of people aged above 65 years who were participating in the shooting of programmes prior to the lockdown. The shootings of such films and programnes have been left in between due to the non-availability of such people.'

IMPPA president TP Aggarwal said the guideline is impractical and unfair because no such condition has been imposed on any other profession.

In its petition, the association cited the Karnataka high court's order which had held that the restrictions imposed by the state government there were only advisory in nature and not binding and every individual has the right to work for his or her livelihood and the government cannot impose such regulations.

Pramod Pandey, a senior actor, has also filed a writ petition against the Maharashtra government's order. After hearing his petition on Tuesday, the Bombay high court asked the Maharashtra government to spell out if a physically fit person, who is above 65 years of age, could be allowed to venture out of his or her house to earn a living.

The court also ordered the state to explain if it had considered any data before restricting citizens over 65 years of age from venturing into public places.