Film production houses,associations hold vaccination drives to speed up industry return to normalcy after unlock

By Rajesh Ahuja

With the Maharashtra set to commence a five level unlock process from tomorrow,  various film production houses and film associations are facilitating vaccination process of people engaged in film business as part of efforts to ensure the film industry's return to normalcy after a prolonged period of Lockdown.

With a dip in coronavirus cases in the state,  the Maharashtra government has announced a five level unlock process wherein various activities in the state will be allowed in various districts based on positivity rate in these districts.

With the process of unlock commencing from tomorrow,  film shooting has been allowed in districts where the positivity rate is below five percent.

Simultaneously with the unlock process,  the various film associations have been holding vaccination drives for the cast and crew of production houses affiliated to them.

Ahead of the unlock process,  the Producers Guild of India, the leading association of the Indian film, television and digital content producers ,  launched  a vaccination drive for its members and associated production crews as part of its efforts to protect crew of various film production houses against COVID-19. 

Through these camps, thousands of production house personnel and crews are being   vaccinated over a multi city drive  held at Mehboob Studios starting June 1.

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Production houses like T series and Reliance entertainment have also been organizing vaccination drives for their staff and their families as part of the process of bring operations of the film industry back to normal.

On June 3, T Series initiated a vaccination drive for the staff and their families... The vaccination drive,- held at TSeries office , was in collaboration with various production houses.

Reliance Entertainment also organized  camps on May 29 and June 3 to get members of entertainment industry vaccinated..The drive was held at the Mumbai office. Members of various production houses were vaccinated as part of the vaccination drive.

T series and Reliance entertainment hold vaccination drives for their staff and their families ahead of unlock in Maharashtra 

With experts terming vaccination as the only way to protect people from coronavirus and prevent its spread, those associated with the film trade see vaccination as the key to facilitate the film industry's return to normalcy. 

Terming mass vaccination as the only effective weapon in the long and deadly war against the coronavirus that has ravaged the country,  the Producers Guild of India president Siddharth Roy kapur hoped that the mass vaccination will facilitate safer shooting and content production.

'By now it is clear that mass vaccination as the only effective weapon in the long and deadly war against the coronavirus that has ravaged the country as also its entertainment industry.  It is hoped that this camp will contribute to the National mission of attaining Universal vaccination and also facilitate safer shooting and content production,'he said.

Fiim production activities in the state came to a standstill in late March after the second wave of covid in the country,  which led to an unprecedented surge in covid cases in the country, especially in Mumbai and Maharashtra .

The unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases in the state during the second wave in late March and early April led the state government to impose several restrictions,  including enforcement of weekend curfew and lock down.

With the imposition of the LinkedIn, by the government , shoots for films and television shows came to a standstill,  adversely affecting the film business and impacting livelihood of thousands of people engaged in the film business.

Trade sources said that the  restrictions by the Maharashtra government have force makers of several on air television shows to halt shoot for the shows, leading to a loss of revenues for the producers of these shows.

Restrictions resulted in halting of shoot of films like Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathan , Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 , the Prabhas and Kriti Sanon starrer  Adipurush  and  Dongri To Dubai.

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The worsening covid situation in the country has resulted in makers of mega starrers Haathi Mere Saathi, Bunty Aur Babli2, Chehre, Sooryavanshi and Satyamev Jayate 2 and  Toofan  postponing release of these films till a later date.

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The  situation has adversely impacted the earnings of recently released Bollywood films Roohi, Mumbai Saga, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and Saina.

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Bollywood has several mega starrers lined up in the coming months,  which would be severely impacted if the covid situation in the country shows no improvement. 

It is hoped that with the commencement of the unlock process in Maharashtra from tomorrow and conducting of vaccination drives by various film production houses,  the operation of the film business would return to normalcy soon.