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BOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION HOUSES TRY FOR MASS VACCINES, NO LUCK
The film industry has realised that only through rigorous and planned vaccination drives can it hope to get back on its feet again
After the second round of lockdown, getting back to work in Bollywood might require more than just a negative report, with the industry looking at widespread vaccination drive to restart activities. Though the Maharashtra government has temporarily suspended vaccination for 18-44 group, there are many production houses that are looking at procuring vaccines in bulk for their staff.
This comes after several actors, including Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Radhika Madan and Riteish Deshmukh, got their vaccine shot.
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia feels it’ll not only enable the industry to churn out content, but also support daily wagers. “From an industry perspective, it’ll help them get back on their feet and keep economic activity going. I hope the government, in due course of time, will address this,” says the actor.
Though vaccination might be a potential way out, many say that the scarcity of the life saving drug is making it a tough path.
“Today, availability of vaccines is the biggest challenge. We’ve been talking directly with the
Having battled Covid-19 in the past year, Amyra Dastur understands the scare people all across the country are dealing with amid this second wave of the pandemic. The actor laments the mismanagement of medical facilities, which is leading to the loss of so many lives on an everyday basis.
“It’s unforgivable. It’s as if lives have no value anymore,” she rues, adding, “We have the second largest population in the world, and we should have the medical infrastructure to support our people in dire times. Reading articles on overworked crematoriums, patients dying due to the lack of oxygen cylinders and hospitals being always too full to admit patients, is plain heartbreaking.”
Dastur, 27, notes that this wave has hit India more than 2020, and calls it “a very scary time”. Though she’s trying to do her bit by helping people via social media, she admits having to go on such platforms to help someone feels “so wrong”. “Facilities should have been there and we
TAMANNAAH BHATIA
According to Shibasish Sarkar, CEO, Reliance Entertainment, it is “impossible” to think about getting back to work without vaccination. “There’s no permanent solution to it, unless you can get your team vaccinated,” he says.
As vaccination drive picks manufacturers, hospitals and even laboratories, to get access to it. We haven’t been able to get it, but we’re trying to see if we can get the quantity to cover our staff,” Sarkar says.
To this, BN Tiwari, president of should have been prepared for this crisis,” she adds.
That said, she agrees that social media is the only useful option now, to reach out and come to the rescue of as many people as possible. “Presently, the thought is to survive this crisis. People aren’t getting the necessary information they need. They’ve turned to social media because that’s the place left for some help, and even then, trying to find verified leads takes up time and is frustrating,” she points out.
Dastur further shares that she couldn’t bear to watch people feeling so helpless and wanted to help, so she found this to be the “best and safest” way to do her bit.
“It was tough in the beginning. Getting so many DMs and requests for help, I began feeling low because I got more and more [of them] every day. But then, people got back and thanked me saying they got the help they needed. Knowing at least someone managed to get help, motivated me even more. I will keep pushing limits until all the DMs are answered,” concludes the actor, who recently returned to Mumbai after shooting a music video in Kashmir. up, some from industry have started to put out appeals to the Maharashtra government, urging them to let them get industry members inoculated.
While the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to set up a vaccination centre for its members, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) also has requested the state government to provide vaccines for its artists and workers. Yash Raj Films (YRF) head Aditya Chopra has requested the CM to allow the company to purchase 30,000 vaccines. One stop vaccine centre is important, too, points out JD Majethia, Chairman, TV division of IFTPC. “We’ve written to the government to make a centre in Film City,” he says.
Nitin Tej Ahuja, CEO of Producers Guild of India says, “We’ve been in talks with government departments and private bodies to facilitate mass vaccination camps for film fraternity.”
Vaccinations will help daily wagers get back on their feet.
FWICE, adds, “The shortage is the biggest problem abhi. In fact, I might ask Salman Khan to also pitch for vaccination.”
That said, lyricist Javed Akhtar stresses that vaccination doesn’t mean letting go of other safety
AMYRA DASTUR
precautions.
He says, “It can become safer to work when everybody is vaccinated. But even after the jab, there’s no guarantee that nothing will happen, so one has to be careful.”
After 19years, American talk showhostEllen DeGenereswillendhershow in 2022. Thiscomesinthewake ofallegationsofatoxicwork environmentwhich“destroyed” her. DeGenereshassaid that wasn’tthereason fordiscontinuation.
Facilities should have been there and we should have been prepared for this crisis.