Arjun Rampal: Everyone is quarantining, getting tested again

Earlier this week, Arjun Rampal began shooting for Nail Polish, a courtroom drama directed by Bhargava Krishna. However, the shoot at Filmistan Studio ground to an abrupt halt on Wednesday after co-actors Manav Kaul and Anand Tiwari tested COVID-19 positive. The makers immediately instructed the unit to undergo another round of tests and practise the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.

Manav Kaul with director Bhargava Krishna on the set

Rampal, who is currently staying in isolation, says the unit had adopted stringent safety measures, including undergoing a test before the principal photography began. "The cast and crew would undergo antigen tests daily, and COVID tests every four days. The set was equipped with sanitisation tunnels, and unit hands had been given PPE suits and masks. If at all, actors are more vulnerable as we can't wear masks while shooting," he says. Rampal was filming a sequence with Kaul on Wednesday when the medical reports came in. "Now, everyone is quarantining at home and getting tested again. We can't resume shoot for two weeks."

Anand Tiwari

Though he was excited to return to the set after six months, Rajit Kapur — who also features in the ZEE5 web series — acknowledges that the latest turn of events has left him conflicted. "Even though we're working with a small unit, we are apprehensive because we're surrounded by 30 people on the set. The producers provided a separate vanity van to every artiste; they made sure we maintained physical distancing. But once we go on the floor, we have to perform together," he says.

When mid-day reached out to Kaul, he said, "I have tested positive and am quarantining at home."

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