Director Vivek Agnihotri Hits Out At Post Lockdown Shooting Guidelines

Director Vivek Agnihotri  Hits Out At  Post Lockdown Shooting Guidelines

According to  guidelines issued by the Maharashtra Government  actors above the age of  65  are advised to  stay home once the shooting resumes  after  the lockdown.

Filmmaker  Vivek Agnihotri  minces  no  words when he wonders who  framed  these guidelines  on behalf  of  the  Maharashtra government.

“I’ve read all the guidelines. I feel they have been framed  by some IAS officers  or Babus  in the government in consultation with some  filmmakers who don’t know  how films are made. The guidelines   show no  understanding of  how our film industry works.  Though I appreciate the  effort taken to  frame  the elaborate  guidelines, I  am afraid it has left the  film industry confused.And as  it  turns  out,they   want to turn  film directors  in municipality  commissioners  who  would be  just checking  on the sets  to see  if  the  guidelines are being followed instead  of shooting ,” says Vivek caustically.

About the  guideline stating there should be  a doctor,nurse  and ambulance on  each set, Vivek wonders, “There are  no  doctors and ambulances available for heart patients and COVID  patients. Then how do they expect us  to get these to stand by  on  the sets? Hundreds of shootings take place  every day. Please calculate  the  number of  doctors and ambulances  we  require.”

Now, about actors  above 65  not being allowed to shoot Vivek Agnihotri says, “This  means Mr Amitabh  Bachchan, Mr Anupam Kher , Mithun Chakraborty can’t shoot. So we  cannot make family-oriented  films. We  cannot have  fathers and grandfathers in our  films and serials.Everyone has to be  young.”

Vivek also wonders  about the guideline stating the entire unit cast and crew should stay together in  one  accommodation. “How is that possible in Mumbai where space is a constant problem? I think this  is  a very impractical  SOP. I am sure  amendments have to be made.”

Vivek  feels the  SOPs should be  prepared in consultation with responsible  filmmakers. “I don’t know whom  the Maha government consulted before preparing these guidelines. I’ve heard  many filmmakers respond to it  by saying, ‘Arrey yeh sab chalta hai.Let them  say what  they want to say.We will make  films  the way we  want to’. In that case what is  the  point  of  these guidelines?”