After a two-and-a-half month break due to the second wave of COVID-19, the shootings in Tollywood have resumed. In this regard, a joint meeting was held by the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), Telugu Film Producers Council, Telugu Film Directors Association, and Movie Artists Association (MAA) in Hyderabad on June 17, and guidelines for the shooting were issued. As per the official statement released by the TFCC, it has been decided that initially, the shoots which were abruptly halted in the month of April will be resumed first, and permission for new shoots will be given only after that.
Directors have been asked to wrap up their schedules as early as possible without any delays. Artists have also been asked to first finish the schedules that they have signed previously before venturing into new ones.
Meanwhile, before participating in the shoot, it is mandatory to have a vaccine declaration form for all the artists and technicians. At least one dose of vaccination should have been taken. The Film Industries Employees Federation has been directed to take necessary steps in the process of vaccination and to mandatorily cover insurance for all the artists from the 24 associations in the industry.
“All the SOPs given by the respective governments should be followed without fail. Respective production house managers and artists managers should keep the concerned artists and technicians in the loop about these guidelines,” added the TFCC note.
Recently, the shooting for Maestro, starring Nithiin and Tamannah was resumed by the team in Hyderabad on Monday. This movie is a remake of the Hindi film Andhadhun, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, and Radhika Apte. The movie is directed by Merlapaka Gandhi.
Several major movies, which are in the last leg of shooting, have been halted due to COVID-19, including Acharya, RRR, and Narappa among others. All these movies are expected to resume shooting shortly.