Film, television shoots halted as Maharashtra imposes severe restrictions to curb COVID-19 surge

The chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, on Tuesday night announced a list of restrictions in order to curb the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state and the country. The restrictions include a blanket ban on film and television shoots till the end of April. This is likely to affect the production of several upcoming projects, including Prabhas's Adipurush (2022), the Amitabh Bachchan-led Goodbye, Salman Khan's action flick Tiger 3, and Pathan, which is rumoured to star Shah Rukh Khan. 

The restrictions will come into force from 8 pm on Wednesday. Titled 'Break The Chain', the list issued by the Maharashtra government states that section 144 of the code of criminal procedure, which prevents a group of five or more from assembling in a public place, will be implemented across the state.

The order also states that cinema halls, theatres and playhouses, along with swimming pools, gyms and sporting complexes will remain closed.

RepublicWorld.com quoted JD Majethia, chairman, TV and web wing of Indian Film and Television Producer's Council (IFTPC), as saying, "If we can create a bio bubble and shoot under a controlled environment, we should be allowed to, like we were given permission the previous year. In a day or two, we will urge the CM for this. But as of now, we support the state, understand and respect what they have said (sic)."

Producer Anand Pandit of Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, who spoke with Cinestaan before the order was issued, had said, "We are waiting on the government's orders (concerning film shoots) for the next 15 days. We don't know what will happen now. We have to cooperate with the government. We can't be selfish on these matters. So, we will wait and watch for another four or five days."

However, Pandit was insistent that neither film crews nor actors were hesitant about shooting in a bio bubble. He said, "If we call our unit, I think 90% of the people will turn up. That is the difference between 2020 and 2021. But we have to be a bit hesitant and careful over their health."

The film industry, which was dealt a blow by the lockdown, had resumed shooting operations in October 2020, with specific restrictions in place. Last week, the Federation of Western Indian Cine Workers (FWICE) issued new guidelines to encourage COVID-appropriate behaviour during shoots.