Anand Pandit urges government to institute post-lockdown measures for film industry

There is a lot of anxiety among film producers and artistes about how work will be carried out after the lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus ends. Several associations, including the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) and the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA), have come together to try and create guidelines for safety and structure once the lockdown is lifted. Producer Anand Pandit believes the government should also imbue some urgency into the creation of specific guidelines for the film industry in the post-lockdown period.

Pandit said, "I strongly urge the government to set certain guidelines in consultation with various stakeholders from the industry on what the future path for the Indian film industry should be."

The nearly 60-day lockdown, which may well be extended further, has resulted in several projects being stuck in limbo, with screenings as well as shootings and post-production work halted.

For an industry that earns most of its revenue from audiences thronging theatres, the new norms for physical distancing also put a question mark on the possibilities of theatres reopening to packed houses. Not just that, film shoots also normally see a unit of not less than 100 people working in close quarters. Those numbers might also need to be trimmed.

Pandit said, "While I completely understand the challenges faced by the government and agree that we can only move forward once the situation eases, I believe it is important for guidelines and mechanisms to be planned and ready to be put in place as and when we begin work. Guidelines that can help clear the uncertainty among the industry stakeholders."

Pandit has two key productions, the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Chehre and the Abhishek Bachchan-led The Big Bull, stuck in limbo because of the lockdown.