Sanitisation, lights, camera & action

For make-up artist Dipti Rawal (42), being on a film set is not what it used to be five months ago. Amidst the pandemic, working on a set has become more hectic than the actual work itself.

Shootings of advertisements and serials have begun as the film industry is now limping back to normalcy. However, adhering to protocols has become overwhelming for technicians. "We aren't allowed in the studio unless we wear the PPE kit. Being stylists, we have to be with the actors throughout the shooting routine. Wearing PPE kits while working is not easy. Also, most of the make-up vans don’t operate with air conditioning, which troubles us further," Rawal told the Free Press Journal. As the shooting has commenced, the government has clearly highlighted to make sure there are a limited number of people on a film set. "Due to the restriction of the number of people, we cannot bring in more staff. We mostly have to do all the major work by ourselves," Rawal stated.

As the SOPs demand lesser people, many actors have also decided to do their own makeup, which has left many make-up artists unemployed. "I used to do make-up work for a popular actor. However, as a safety measure, many actors have decided to do their own makeup. So, we have been forced to take a break from our jobs," stated Amir Hussain, a make-up artist.

Rajiv Puri, who has been working as an assistant cameraman in the industry for the last fifteen years, says that now the technicians are required to reach at least two hours before the call time.

"Before the commencement of shooting, we need to follow a set of sanitisation protocols, which costs us time because there are many people working in a set. This is why reaching before the call time has become important," stated Puri.