FWICE president BN Tiwari: Reached out to Salman Khan, Yash Raj Films for help

Wagle Ki Duniya is being shot in Gujarat

When the suspension of film and TV shoots was imposed in Maharashtra in mid-April to break the chain of virus transmission, several TV producers shifted their projects outside the state. While popular sitcom Wagle Ki Duniya began filming episodes in Gujarat. With the state government announcing a two-week extension of shoot suspension, it may drive other television producers to follow suit.

A unit member from Gum Hain Kisike Pyaar Mein tells us, "We are shooting in Goa. 90% Shoots are in a bio bubble with the entire unit staying in one big hotel/resort/big villa. The entire place has been booked by the production, there are no outsiders. The shoots however are still going on in Goa as it is not a complete lockdown. Most of them are shooting in the resorts they are staying at."

Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, in Hyderabad

However, these shoots have translated into jobs for only a small section of daily-wage workers as some producers are hiring local crews instead. BN Tiwari, president, Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), says, "Taking an entire crew from here is an expensive affair, especially with multiple rounds of testing. [As a result], over 3,000 junior artistes and 7,000 others, including dancers, fighters, musicians, sound professionals and technicians, are out of work. We had to reach out to Salman Khan and Yash Raj [Films] for help. But they've had no releases in a year either; everyone is cash-strapped." Tiwari laments that the letters written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray by the film associations have not yielded a response. "While the Indian Premier League continues in a bio-bubble, shoots aren't allowed the same luxury. We hope the state government makes some [concessions] once the cases dip in the state. [Our worry is that] the lockdown may extend till June-end."

BN Tiwari and JD Majethia

While the daily wagers are in dire straits, the situation hasn't been easy for producers either. The creative teams of many shows have had to tweak their storylines to justify the location change. JD Majethia, whose production Wagle Ki Duniya moved to a Gujarat resort from April 21, shares, "We had to develop a back-story. We introduced a track where the Wagles go to the resort for a weekend, and get stuck there due to the lockdown." He adds that setting up in a new location has been demanding. "There are several challenges when you move from one [city] to another. It gets difficult for the producer, but my biggest concern is everyone's safety."