Maharashtra government suspends film, TV shootings

As part of the new 'Break the Chain' guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government, the shooting of all films and television shows were stopped from Wednesday evening onwards. The new guidelines are part of the government's attempt to curb the spike in COVID-19 cases.

The move raises further concerns for the entertainment industry which has been badly affected by restrictions on shooting schedules as well as state theatre shut-downs affecting the prospects of big-budget Bollywood films.

"We stand by the government and the new rules...We will approach the CM and discuss if we can work as I've always believed that the industry people are also frontline warriors given we give employment and also entertain so many. However, if nothing works out, we will have to accept it and wait for things to settle down," said J.D.Majethia, TV show producer and member of Indian Films & TV Producers Council in a statement to The Indian Express.

Films like Salman Khan's 'Tiger 3', Amitabh Bachchan's 'Goodbye' have postponed shooting, while theatre releases like Akshay Kumar's "Sooryavanshi' and Kangana Ranaut's 'Thalaivi' have also had to shift release dates. Filmmakers are now pinning their hopes on theatres opening in time for Eid releases which are traditionally one of the biggest earners of the year.