Coronavirus: No film, TV shoots for 2 weeks, associations announce, after celeb reactions

It seems the entertainment industry is set for a two-week break amid the coronavirus scare. After release dates were postponed and shooting of films were put on hold, an official announcement has been made to halt shooting from March 19-31. The leading associations of the entertainment industry came to the decision after a meeting on Sunday. 

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As per an update on ANI, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association, Federation of Western India Cine Employees and Indian Film & Television Directors' Association, known by their abbreviations usually like IMPPA, FWICE and IFTDA, announced the decision. 

The break is set to start on Thursday and go on for almost two weeks till March 31. 

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Celebs were unhappy

The decision was announced after several celebrities had expressed their unhappiness over the continuation of shoots. Sandhya Mridul had written how she was concerned about over 100-200 people working on the sets, and how they were not at liberty to even work from home. 

Tillotama Shome had used the hashtag #shouldShootsGoOn to share how there were deadlines for the episodes to be delivered on time and how she was ‘horrified’ to hear it. 

One had also tagged the film associations, questioning the reason for the shoots continuing. 

For the unversed, the shooting of films like Jersey has been officially put on hold, while reports claim Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Brahmastra have also seen a similar situation. 

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The release dates of Sooryavanshi and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar have been pushed ahead and IIFA Awards has also been postponed. Theatres and malls have been advised to remain closed in various parts of the country. 

India has witnessed over 100 cases of coronavirus until now, with two deaths being reported. The central and state governments have been urging citizens to take precautions, like wearing masks, ensuring personal hygiene and avoiding large gatherings. 

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