Television and film shoots came to a halt after Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announced a lockdown in the state due to rising Covid-19 cases. However, now the entertainment industry can take a sigh of relief. In a special meeting today, June 6, with all governing bodies of the media and entertainment industry, CM Thackeray shared the unlock plan.
The CM clarified that the regular shoots cannot resume and all shoots will have to happen during the restricted timings and in bio bubbles as proposed in the unlock Mumbai plan. Mumbai comes in Level 3 and shoots will be permitted for a limited time with fewer crew members and in bio bubbles.
The governing bodies of the entertainment industry argued that all shoots have a regular timing of 12 hours to churn out episodes. They said that the limited timings would hamper the telecast of content, especially TV shows. They have made a special request for the 7 am to 7 pm shift. However, the request is still pending with the CM.
CM Thackeray also insisted that vaccination should be in place for all associated with the media and entertainment industry by the next two months. So, now with new standard operating procedures, the producers have a choice to start shoots in Mumbai with restricted timing and bio bubbles.
TV shows that are being shot outside Mumbai are most likely to resume shooting in Mumbai from next week. However, the choice lies with the producers if they would like to continue shooting outside Mumbai or return and follow the protocols.
