We Won't Resume Shoot Until Our Crews Are Vaccinated: Producers

Tollywood filmmakers feel that it’s not safe to resume film shooting post lockdown until each and every member of their crews have taken at least one jab of vaccine

- Suhas Yellapantula

Ever since the second wave of COVID hit us hard last month, film shootings across Tollywood have come to a grinding halt. Even before a lockdown was imposed in the state, shoots of several big ticket films including Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam and Allu Arjun’s Pushpa, were stopped after several crew members tested positive for COVID-19. But even after the lockdown ends, filmmakers say they won’t rush back to the sets — at least not until every crew member is vaccinated.

Director Ramesh Varma, whose film Khiladi was halted after he and a few other members tested COVID positive, says, “The risk of COVID spreading on film sets is high because of the sheer number of people on location at one time. Even for a small scene with minimal requirements, there will be around of 50 people on the sets. Despite wearing masks and taking precautions, we’re at a greater risk of getting exposed. Hence, we have decided to resume shoot only after each and every crew member has taken at least one dose of COVID vaccine.”

Agreeing, producer Suresh Babu says it’s important for the film industry to proceed with caution while unlocking post lockdown. “At the moment, we don’t know how long this situation will last. But even if the lockdown is lifted and shootings are allowed, I think we must all proceed with caution. We must take all the precautions that are in our control and that means vaccinating all our crew members, staff and other personnel working in studios and officers across the city,” he says.