Scripts will be improvised so as to not have scenes with too many people
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 24, 2020)

With PPE kits and sanitisers in place, your favourite celebrities have brought back your favourite TV shows on air again, but with tweaks for both the storyline and how they shoot. Shows now won’t have shoots in different locations, family together in one frame, fights, marriages or hand-holding.

‘Kiss will become flying kiss’
J D Majethia, producer of the show Bhakarwadi, says a big no to any scene which shows a gathering of people. “You can’t have too many people in one frame. We also have to cut down on scenes which show someone touching an elder’s feet! Aashirwaad bhi door se dena padhega. Intimacy isn’t there on TV anyway,” he says.

The 51-year-old sums it up by saying, “Earlier, there was kiss, now it has become a flying kiss. We can’t go to outdoor locations, as that would be dangerous for that particular locality. Though we haven’t tweaked our story too much, we have a new track.”

Precautionary measures part of the show
Viewers who watch Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, saw their favourite characters wearing face shields, masks and using sanitisers — all as a part of the story. Pooja Banerjee, who is working on two shows currently — Kumkum Bhagya and Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2, says stories have already been tweaked according to the guidelines. “There’s no touching, no romantic scenes, no intimate scenes, or even hugging. When I was shooting for Kumkum Bhagya, literally even the elbow touching was missing. In fact, I wear a face mask in one of the scenes, and those are part of the episode. We sanitise our hands after a scene even if we touch just a glass,” she tells us.

Kamya Panjabi, whose show Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki is back with new episodes, says that the story will change for many shows. “We won’t be able to explore much. Your safety is in your hands. The channel and producer won’t serve safety on a platter. We will only shoot indoors now,” she says.

Technology to the rescue?
From a writer’s point of view too, things will alter. Sumrit Shahi, who has been the writer for shows such as Veer Ki Ardaas… Veera and the recent web show Never Kiss Your Best Friend, says that as smaller units are in operation, storylines will change in terms of the grandness. “A lot of grandeur shots require many production people, and that is changing. One should be glad that work is finally happening again now. I don’t think anyone is in a state of complaining,” he reasons.

He goes on to give an example of how the shots will look like. “You write the close up scenes in such a way that the two people are in the same frame, but it’s not being shot together. Also, we don’t write crowd scenes, we will use stock footage, but I don’t know how much of a solution is that, we’ll have to use audio smartly,” says Shahi.

Hands are tied, show banks to go for a toss
Producer Benaifer Kohli, who is shooting for her show Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai, says that right now, she’s not interested in spending on costumes or jewellery for her characters, but rather on safety procedures. “I have told everyone to be six feet apart. My show set is certified safe,” Kohli tells us.

Emphasising on how even guidelines can’t change a good storyteller, Kohli admits that in a sense, her hands are tied. She says, “If I write ‘bazaar mein’, bazaar dikha nahi sakti. I want to show five people have gone to the police station, but I can’t show those five people. We are limited. We will have to shoot smartly.” she adds.

Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 17, 2020)

For the past few weeks, Ekta Kapoor’s soap, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, has been in news with Karan Patel replacing Karan Singh Grover as Mr Bajaj and Parth Samthaan, who plays Anurag Basu, testing positive for Coronavirus on Sunday. As per the guidelines, the shoot was stopped for three days during which the sets were disinfected and the team tested. Shooting resumes today.

“The makers can’t delay the shoot any further as they need a constant flow of fresh episodes. Karan Patel and Pooja Banerjee, who portrays Nivedita Basu, will be among the first actors to resume work from today,” informed a source, adding that Erica Fernandes, who plays leading lady Prerna Sharma, will be filming alone due to a health condition.

Recently, Aamna Sharif, who plays Komolika, had a bit of a scare when a member of her staff contracted the virus. Fortunately, her reports are clear. However, keeping everyone’s safety in mind, the actress will join the shoot only from next week. Pooja and she will spearhead the upcoming track.

Meanwhile, Parth has been recuperating at his home. “The makers are taking care of all his medical needs and ensuring he receives the best care. There is a doctor on call 24x7 instructing him on the path to recovery. Meanwhile, the writers have tweaked the storyline and sent Anurag out of the city on work,” the source revealed, adding that the narrative will now focus more on the relationship between Prerna, Mr Bajaj, Komolika and Nivedita. “Parth will be tested again on July 26. Until then, the portions he had already shot will be used in the upcoming episodes. But he is unlikely to resume work before August.”

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; July 14, 2020)

Though her Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 coactor Parth Samthaan tested positive for Coronavirus, Pooja Banerjee, who is awaiting her test results, is trying to remain optimistic. “When we act, we can’t wear a mask. So, my first thought (when I heard about Parth) was that I was in direct contact with him and will have to get tested. I had a ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen?’ moment, but I realised my whole unit is scared, so I calmed down. My production head was aware of the situation, so when I spoke to him, he said I could go home after getting myself tested,” she says. Quarantining at home, Pooja shares, “We don’t know for how long the shoot has been stalled. When we returned to work, we knew something like this could happen. The fact that it happened to someone who’s right across my make-up room, is a very good friend and is my co-actor, is scary, but I need to be optimistic. Everyone on the set wore masks, maintained distance and took precautions.”

Pooja adds that some people have been mocking TV actors for shooting in such times, but they don’t realise that many depend on TV for survival. She says, “We don’t get due credit as entertainers and artistes, and some people mock us for working amid the pandemic. There are many dependent on TV shows for their livelihood. I saw the fear on the faces of my crew when this happened. As an actor, it’s tough for us to be completely safe as we shoot without masks. I’ve been sanitising my jewellery, carrying my UV (sanitiser box), our production unit keeps sanitising the sets... iss se zyada, what else can you do?”

Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 13, 2020)

On Sunday, Ekta Kapoor’s leading man Parth Samthaan, who plays Anurag Basu in the Kasautii Zindagii Kay reboot, tested positive for Covid-19. The actor took to social media to confirm the same, and urged people, who have been in close proximity with him over the last few days, to get themselves tested too. He added that he is in self-quarantine as per the doctors’ instructions.

Acknowledging the news, a spokesperson from Ekta’s production house issued a statement, which stated without naming the actor, “Our first priority is to help protect our talent, production crew and employees. We are taking all the precautions detailed in the guidelines. We were and will continue following all medical protocols set by the authorities and have implemented guidelines concerning social interactions, hygiene, travel and visits to the sets.”

As per guidelines, shooting has been halted for the next three days, during which the cast and the crew will be tested and the set will be sanitised.

According to a source, the actor, who resumed work on June 26, was showing Coronavirus symptoms on Friday, his last day of shoot. “Parth had high fever and got tested the next day. He is still feeling weak,” informed the source, adding that since they got back into action, Parth has shot with only two actors, Pooja Banerjee, who portrays his sister in the show, and the new Mr Bajaj, Karan Patel.

Karan, the latest entrant in the show, started shooting on Tuesday. He hasn’t shot for the last three days but will take a swab test at home as a precautionary measure, keeping in mind not just his own safety but also others’, including his family. He was excited about playing the businessman who re-enters Prerna’s life to help her destroy her ex-husband Anurag while rekindling their romance.

When speaking to Mirror (July 7), Karan had said he was not unduly tense about shooting in the midst of a pandemic. “We have to behave responsibly. As long as everyone takes care, we should be okay,” he had asserted.

J D Majethia, chairman of the TV and web wing of Indian Film and TV Producers Council, says Parth testing positive has not come as a shock. “When we resumed shooting, we were mentally prepared for a few cases. We are ready to help and support the producers in any way we can, while ensuring that the government-mandated guidelines are being followed. We just hope these cases don’t become too many, because then we will have to make some changes in our system.”

Amit Behl, joint secretary of Cine and TV Artistes’ Association, adds that from the reports they have been getting, everyone has been following the guidelines. “Even if we decide to halt the shoots for 15-20 days, what is the guarantee that there won’t be a new case after that,” he reasons, adding that all they can do is work out more precautions.

Behl shares that there are senior actors who are tense because they are unable to work. “So, on one hand, you have mental stress and on the other, the risk of contracting Covid-19. It’s a Catch-22 situation,” he maintains, saying producers and broadcasters will be taking care of the treatment of the cast and crew under Covid cover. “What else can we ask of them? Shoots have started in the West. They are trying to find new norms and so are we. There will be some collateral damage, but I believe Parth will recover soon.”
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Balaji puts filming of the popular show on hold, urges crew to get tested after Parth Samthaan is diagnosed with the infection
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 13, 2020)

On Sunday, creator-producer Ekta Kapoor called off the shoot of Kasautii Zindagii Kay as soon as lead actor Parth Samthaan informed her that he was diagnosed with the Coronavirus. A source from the set reveals, "Pooja Banerjee and Shubhaavi Choksey were shooting their portions at the Andheri studio when word about Parth's health came in. On Ekta's orders, the production house immediately cancelled the day's shoot, and requested the cast and crew to self-quarantine. They also urged those who were in close proximity to Parth to get themselves tested."

As per procedure, the studio was promptly disinfected. The actors were also notified that filming would be suspended for three days, following which the production house would take a call on the way forward. The source adds, "The shoot of Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya and Pavitra Bhagya have been cancelled as they are filmed in the same studio." Soon after, Samthaan shared the news on social media.

When mid-day contacted Balaji Telefilms, the spokesperson confirmed the development, stating, "Our first priority is to protect our talent, production crew and employees. We are and will continue following all medical protocols set by the authorities and have implemented guidelines concerning hygiene, travel and visits to the sets."