Nobody knows when shooting will resume in India. It has been more than two months since all shooting activities came to a complete halt, bringing the entire entertainment industry to its knees. If we talk about Hindi television space in particular, all on-air shows have exhausted their episode banks and channels are forced to re-telecast old episodes or bring back their old shows to ensure that audiences are engaged.
Looking at the current scenario and rising COVID-19 cases, Kundali Bhagya actor Dheeraj Dhoopar says, “I was hoping that by May we would be back on the sets but looking at the number of patients rising every day, I don’t think we will start shooting anytime soon.”
The actor goes on to add that he is dying to get back to work but there is no clarity about when shoots will restart. “I am dying to get back to work. It feels like a dream that we used to shoot for a TV show. We will complete 60 days at home soon which is huge for a daily soap actor. In the TV industry, we used to think that no matter what happens — flood, earthquake or any calamity — TV shoots will never stop, that we will always keep shooting. I hope that we get back to work soon.”
Sharing his views on how the makers could plan shooting schedules amid such testing times, the actor says, “We could have a unit of 30 members and stay at a location for a month and shoot episodes. It will provide work to everyone including the daily wages earners. Everyone will be safe as no one will go in or out of the sets. But this plan needs a lot of effort and permissions as everyone is suffering as many projects are stuck or shelved.”
