Blame it on the second lockdown that has left stars’ date diaries in a disarray, but Pankaj Tripathi is busy flitting from one project to another, honouring his commitments. Last month, the actor completed the Ladakh schedule of Raj-DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK)’s web series, Ashwalinga that sees him share screen space with Kunal Kemmu.

Before he could take a breather, Tripathi had to fly down to Mumbai to report to the shoot of Oh My God 2. With the social comedy — also starring Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam — expected to be wrapped up by late October, the senior actor will be Ladakh-bound again for the second schedule of the Amazon Prime Video web series.

Juggling the two projects isn’t easy on Tripathi, who says, “I love working in different cinematic projects, and am grateful that good scripts are coming my way. The past few months have been hectic as many of my projects were lined up, and the schedules were jam-packed. I will try to slow down my pace once this year’s projects are wrapped up.”

A short break would be the perfect way to wind up the hectic year, feels the actor. “Physical and mental health are crucial, and one needs time-off from work.”

While shoots in Mumbai have suffered at the hands of the monsoon year on year, 2021 seems to be kind to producers who have already faced financial losses due to the lockdowns. The heavy downpour through late Saturday and the small hours of Sunday wreaked havoc in the city, leading to landslides in various locations and claiming at least 25 lives. However, filming continued smoothly at different studios, owing to the bio-bubble set-up adopted by most production houses.

Akshay Kumar began the final schedule of director Farhad Samji’s 'Bachchan Pandey' in Thane on Saturday. A source reveals, “The rains weren’t as heavy in the area, so the shooting continued over the weekend without any hiccup. Similarly, as per their plan, the team of 'Masaba Masaba' filmed portions of the second season at a set near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, while work on Raj-DK’s (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK) production Ashwalinga progressed at a suburban studio. Since most shoots are taking place in bio-bubbles, there is no question of the cast and crew being unable to travel to location due to the downpour. In the post-pandemic times, indoor shooting has become more common, so heavy rainfall has no bearing on it.”

It is heard that Salman Khan’s 'Tiger 3' will resume shoot today, with the studio currently awaiting the crew’s RT-PCR results.

Weeks into the thunderous success of The Family Man 2, creators Raj-DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK) are back at work, ready to kick off their next production, tentatively titled Ashwalinga. The Amazon Prime Video series sees the filmmaker duo reunite with their favourite collaborators — Pankaj Tripathi and Kunal Kemmu. While Tripathi had won acclaim for his rib-tickling performance in their 2018 hit Stree, Kemmu has previously headlined their directorial offerings, 99 (2009) and Go Goa Gone (2013).

A source reveals that the comedy, set in the period of the Kama Sutra, will be helmed by Tumbbad (2018) director Rahi Anil Barve. “Ashwalinga has been envisioned as a big-budget period project. True to Rahi’s style, the story has its roots in mythology and Indian folklore. He has finished writing it with Tumbbad co-writer Mitesh Shah and will take it on floors soon. At the moment, elaborate sets, designed as per the architectural style of the era, are being built in the suburbs” says the source.

It is heard that Tripathi and Kemmu had just begun filming the comedy in March when the junta curfew made them hit the brakes. “Along with Dongri To Dubai and Four More Shots Please 3, this will be among the first Amazon shows to resume shoot in the first week of July,” adds the source.