To address this concern, Tamil film producers have issued a joint statement requesting the government to let them resume works as it requires minimum manpower.

Film producer G Dhananjayan and actor-producer Manobala met Tamil Nadu Minister of Information and Publicity Kadambur Raju and apprised him about the movie fraternity’s request and handed over the joint statement.

Sharing details of the meet, Manobala said, “Minister Kadambur Raju has promised to take our request with the Chief Minister.”

“When lockdown was announced, the shooting of many films were already completed. However, post-production activities were incomplete. As a result, their releases will be delayed. So we have asked for permission to complete them,” G Dhananjayan said.

In the statement, the producers had noted that post-production activities including “editing, dubbing, DI (Digital Intermediary), background music score, sound effects, foley, and mixing can all be done with a team of just four or five people while VFX/CGI work will require only 10 or 15”. The statement also emphasised that producers, along with FEFSI Union of Workers, will “undertake and guarantee to ensure social distancing of people involved in post-production activities with precautions like sanitising places of work, wearing masks and gloves.” Tamil cinema has faced a loss of over Rs 500 crore owing to the pandemic.