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SHOOTS TO RESUME ACROSS INDIA, INDUSTRY RELIEVED
Filmmakers welcome SOPs, gear up to shoot across the country Insiders feel daily wage earners will benefit most from the move
In a relief for the industry, Union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar announced on Sunday that all film and television shoots across the country can resume, along with a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place. While shoots had resumed in the main hub of Bollywood, Maharashtra, and in some other parts of the country such as Kolkata, panIndia shoots hadn’t been allowed until now.
SOPs range from only actors facing the camera being exempted from wearing face masks, to ensuring visitors or audiences are barred on sets.
Ashoke Pandit, chief advisor, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) welcomes this move. “Now we can go to any state and shoot. It’s not only job opportunities for our industry, but everyone related to shooting,” he says, adding the SOPs are similar to what had been in effect for Maharashtra.
Filmmakers are happy too. Vinil Mathew, who is directing Taapsee Pannu-starrer Haseen Dilruba, says, “While it’s good to have official endorsement, as it will be a guidance for the crews, it all boils down to where you want to shoot, the municipality will decide. We are planning to get on floors in October.”
Echoing similar sentiments is Sabbir Khan, who is helming Nikamma starring Shilpa Shetty Kundra. He says, “SOPs being issued is a great sign. I will probably resume my shoot after the monsoon. I have fourfive days of outdoor shoot left.”
The ease to shoot across different locations seems to be a common point of connect. JD Majethia, chairman, Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC) and producer of the show Bhakarwadi says, “The smallest of things have been kept in mind in these SOPs.” Agrees trade analyst Joginder Tuteja, who says, “Shooting is needed not just for films which have to come to theatres, but also those planning to come on OTT. We don’t know when theatres will reopen, but atleast those OTT films can resume, or those who have 10-15 days of shoot left.”
The lockdown has had an adverse impact on everyone, including the showbiz world. And daily wage crew members — such as spot boys, carpenters, tailors and drivers etc. — have been hit hardest. But now, as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting greenlights shoots with guidelines, the fraternity has welcomed the move, adding it will have an immediate and direct positive impact on daily wagers.
“It has been five months since the lockdown started (on March 25). Do you think it has been easy for people? Not at all,” says filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, who has multiple projects readying to go on the floors now. In fact, last week, when Advani held rehearsals at Filmcity for Kaashvie Nair’s film (his next production starring Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh), a few crew members came up to thank him. “They were like, ‘It’s becoming difficult to keep up with the expenses with every passing day.’ Remember actors, directors or producers can survive this lockdown, but for daily wagers, it’s an everyday earning,” he says.
Many feel while daily wage crew members will benefit, the ministry’s move will impact the entire ecosystem of the industry. “Of course, the daily wagers stand to benefit from work resuming in full flow. But we also have many actors, especially in the TV world, who work on daily-wage basis. And none of them earned a penny till TV shows restarted shoots in June. The great thing is now we can look at shooting anywhere in the country,”
says Amit Behl, senior joint secretary and chairperson of Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA).
Director Anees Bazmee, on his part, feels that a longer lockdown can make things “tougher for many”. “We (filmmakers and actors etc.) have had no issues (due to the lockdown) but the daily wagers have had a really tough time. Unke liye toh roz ki kamaai hoti hai,” says the Welcome (2007) maker, adding: “Ek filmmaker ya actor sirf shauq ke liye bhi film kar sakta hai par for them, it’s their only source of income. Agar yeh kaam nahi hoga toh shayad bahuton ke ghar chulhe bhi nahi jalenge.”