Vikrant Massey on working with the minimal crew as he films his first project in the post-COVID world
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 17, 2020)

After an unprecedented break of six months due to Coronavirus pandemic, the top brass of a leading OTT platform finally gave the green signal to return to sets, thus setting the ball rolling on several projects. A special video featuring Vikrant Massey was among the first projects to go on floors. The actor, who reported to the Madh Island set earlier this week, says going back to work was exciting and nerve-wracking in equal measure.

"I won't deny that I feared [being on] a set. We are so consumed with work that we may sometimes forget to maintain physical distancing. I am worried that people on my unit may contract the virus, which is scary because a vaccine has yet to be developed. It helps that all safety precautions were in place," begins Massey, who shot the video over two days. The decision to resume his place in front of the camera did not come easy. "I took my time, gauged the scenario and then took the leap."

In keeping with the state government's on-set guidelines, the actor says that the unit was cut down to half. Even as he understands the need to combat crowding, Massey notes that a lean unit has its own disadvantages. "Due to fewer people, the pace of work has slowed down. Everyone on the set, except actors, wore masks all the time. Shoots don't feel the same; it will take us a while to go back to normal."

Circumstances may have compelled him to stay away from work for the better part of the year, but Massey has a promising line-up of films. Only a week after his Netflix outing Cargo dropped online, he is looking forward to the digital premiere of Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare. "Thankfully, I had a big release in Chhapaak before the lockdown," says the actor, who will kick off the patchwork for Haseen Dillruba next month.