After the lockdown last year, BellBottom kick-started its shoot in Scotland, a move that set a precedent for other films stuck in limbo due to the pandemic. These films include Pathan, Laal Singh Chaddha, Vikram Vedha, Dhaakad, Brahmastra, Action Hero, Fighter and Parineeti Chopra’s untitled action thriller, among others, as reports suggest.

Strict Coronavirus protocols and difficulties in shooting in bio bubbles in India have opened up opportunities for filmmakers to shift their productions overseas. Italy-based line producer Ivano Fucci facilitated the shoot of Radhe Shyam in October 2020 for 40 days along with Telugu films Khiladi and Thank You in February and May this year, respectively.

“Many countries have announced special measures to attract global producers. Right now we are back to the usual incentives, which are still very interesting for Hindi producers. Italy offers 30% rebate, Hungary 25%, France 30%, Spain 30% and Morocco 20%,” Fucci says, adding that he will be shooting for two movies in Hungary, and one film in Bali.

Line producer Sarfaraz Alam, who was a part of the Russia schedule of Sardar Udham Singh, is currently working on Tiger 3 in Russia and will start Ajith Kumar starrer Tamil actioner, Valimai, from August 27. “In Russia, the rules are less strict,” he says.

He believes that shooting Indian projects in other countries can help up tourism and hence, restart economy at a time like this. He adds, “When Indian filmmakers shoot abroad, they give employment to the local people and hire local equipment. The governments offer a good rebate or even a cashback which intrigues many producers.”

Producer of Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, Monisha Advani, says that shooting abroad was required by the script, but reveals there are other reasons too: “The ever-expanding consumption of content is encouraging countries including India to incentivise shooting of films and shows. It is an encouraging time for content creators as we are able to find places that suit our story and can accommodate our budget.”

Producer and trade analyst Girish Johar adds, “In India, travelling is a bit on a sticky wicket right now. Different states have different SOPs. If you shoot abroad, you have to deal with one SOP. Hence, it’s less tedious to shoot films overseas.”