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.”

The singer says that it didn’t feel right to share the happy news during Italy’s COVID-19 crisis
Debarat Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; April 29, 2020)

Singer Shweta Pandit, who has been in Florence, Italy, for the past six months with her husband Ivano Fucci (Italian film producer), is in a happy place. The couple has been blessed with a baby girl. “We’ve named her Izana, a name given as a title to the kind and compassionate monarchs in Ethiopia, and it means ‘most powerful’,” she tells us.

Though Izana was born on February 8, the couple didn’t reveal the arrival of their bundle of joy. Shweta says, “It didn’t feel right to share our happiest news when everything around us was so difficult. The Coronavirus crisis in Italy was worse than it is in India currently. But now that the lockdown here is almost getting lifted, Ivano and I decided to share our happiness.”

However, the singer is missing her family back home in Mumbai. Shweta explains, “The most challenging part is staying away from my own family through pregnancy and delivery. I never thought that I’d be able to take care of a newborn, but I’ve surprised myself. I’m learning a lot from my mother through video calls. My dadu (Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj), too, calls me everyday to check on us and see Izana.”

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 17, 2020)

On March 9, the Prime Minister of Italy announced that the whole country was to be designated a protected zone, and placed under lockdown as cases of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) was on a rise. For the next month, until April 3, sixty million Italians will be obliged to remain at home, and have been ordered to go outside only if urgent.

Singer Shweta Pandit, who is married to Ivano Fucci, an Italian film producer, has been in Florence for the last six months. Giving a first-hand account of this lockdown, she says the situation isn’t that bad. “Despite initial panic, there’s a sense of togetherness among everyone. People seem to have accepted the lockdown. The squares are empty, and the usual morning crowds are nowhere to be seen. I saw how quickly the authorities took the decisions — they value human life more than the billions they will lose due to this lockdown. More than a struggle, I see the country triumph over this pandemic,” she explains.

Pandit says that their movement is severely limited. “You can move about for three reasons — for work, though many are working from home, health purposes and basics provisions. A self-declaration form needs to be carried even if we’re commuting a short distance. If stopped, we’re cross-checked for its authenticity, or else we’re fined. If you’re sick and moving around in your car, it becomes an act of homicide.”

The singer further informs that those who suspect being affected by Coronavirus don’t have to worry about the tests. “An ambulance will reach your house in five minutes and the necessary action will be taken,” she says.

Calling the lockdown “a bittersweet experience”, Pandit prefers to look at the positives. “The social life has been curtailed, but it has brought families together. I’m aware of who’s staying in my neighbourhood; we all greet each other from our homes. Families are spending time together by cooking, playing and even interacting, which wouldn’t happen otherwise,” she continues, “You must have seen the video of an entire neighbourhood coming together to sing songs and encourage each other; it’s happening here, in Florence also. I never knew there was someone in the next block of flats who played the guitar. It’s almost like life has taken a pause for the right thing. There is a moment of joy in this moment of world crisis.”

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 4, 2014)

We haven’t heard the last of the Italian marines yet. They continue to rock our foreign affairs, as Ameesha Patel discovered recently.

The actress was gearing up to shoot her home-production Desi Magic in the Lecco region of Northern Italy but the provincial president, Daniele Nava, refused to let the crew camp out in the historic Villa Monsatero as a mark of solidarity for his countrymen, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, who face trial in the alleged killing of two Indian fishermen.

When Mirror contacted Ivano Fucci, the line producer of the film in Italy, he confirmed the news saying permission to shoot in the villa was denied as Nava owns the property. “Nava is a local politician and his bungalow was one of the locations we were looking at, but now we have shifted to a different province,” he said, adding, “He has no power to revoke any permission as the Film Commission of Italy had already cleared it. We start shooting in April.”