Coronavirus outbreak: All shoots suspended from today

On Sunday, representatives from Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), Western India Film Producers’ Association (WIFPA), Association of Advertising Producers (ASAP) and Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), decided in a meeting to halt all ongoing film, TV and OTT shoots from March 19-31.
On Tuesday, filmmakers were instructed to stop all work immediately. Confirming the news, JD Majethia, Chairman of the IFTPC TV and web wing, said, “On March 16, the BMC had issued an order related to public gatherings. There was a lot of confusion after Film City was shut on Monday night. So, I reached out to Aaditya Thackeray (state Minister for Tourism and Environment) the following day. He suggested that all work be stopped immediately, keeping everyone’s safety in mind.”
Soon after, Majethia, with IFTPC members Shyamashish Bhattacharya and Nitin Vaidya, got on a conference call with broadcasters. “They are calling off shoots as the message reaches them. The advisory applies to films, TV, web shows and ads being shot in Mumbai and other parts of the country. We’ve also informed other film bodies about it,” the actorwriter-producer added.
Last week the film bodies had asked production houses to maintain proper hygiene standards on sets, with masks distributed among workers and technicians. Doctors were appointed on sets full-time.