Coronavirus hits entertainment industry; shootings cancelled

Along with sports, the impact of the Coronavirus spread is now being seen on the entertainment industry. In a release issued yesterday (March 15, 2020), the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) announced that shootings for all entertainment formats will remain suspended between March 19 and 31. 

Already, State Governments have ordered the shutdown of all cinema halls till at least the end of March to prevent mass gathering of people at public places in a move to avoid the spread of the pandemic. This order has adversely impacted the just released Irrfan Khan-starrer ‘Angrezi Medium’, as well as Tiger Shroff-starrer ‘Baaghi 3’. The Akshay Kumar-Ajay Devgn-Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Sooryavanshi’, which was scheduled for release on March 24, has now been postponed. 

In an urgent joint industry body meeting, comprising IMPPA, WIPFA, IFTPCA, IFTDA and FWICE, held on Sunday, it was unanimously decided to stop shootings of films, TV serials, Web series and all entertainment, including digital formats  from March 19 till March 31. In a release issued, IMPPA said this has been done “as a result of health advisory, closure of all cinema halls, all sporting, educational institutes and entertainment events by the Government of India, which has declared a medical emergency over the Coronavirus”. 

The IMPPA further said that, “Decision about re-starting shootings shall be taken on March 30, 2020, after considering the prevailing situation.” 

Globally, too, all TV productions have either been suspended or postponed. These include, long-running police procedural drama ‘NCIS’, Medical drama ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, thriller ‘Riverdale’, reality shows ‘Survivor’, ‘The Amazing Race’ and ‘The Bachelorette’ and many more. 

Last week, netizens were shocked when A-list Hollywood star Tom Hanks announced on Twitter that he and his wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for Coronavirus. Hanks is in Australia for the shooting of a film. Another Hollywood star, Orlando Bloom, who had been shooting in the Czech Republic, had to return to the US to be self-quarantined due to the Coronavirus spread.