Due to a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in India, many film shoots have been put on hold. (Photos: YRF, Karan Johar/ Instagram) The shooting of several upcoming films has been affected due to surge in Covid-19 cases in India. According to sources, the New Delhi schedule of Yash Raj Films’ much-awaited Tiger 3, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, which is being directed by Maneesh Sharma, has been cancelled. The cast was supposed to head to Delhi mid-January for a crucial schedule to wrap the principal shooting of the highly-anticipated film.
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The source tells us, “The time is not conducive to plan big outdoor schedules. Omicron threat is real and it is only wise that the makers are choosing to be cautious at this sensitive time. The intense 15-day schedule, which was expected to begin on January 12, stands postponed as of now, given the surge of coronavirus cases across India, including New Delhi. This schedule will now be planned and executed at a later stage.” The film will bring Salman and Katrina back on screen together after her marriage to actor Vicky Kaushal last month. The two actors were last seen sharing screen space in Bharat.
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The source also shares a quick update on the film’s progress. “Tiger 3 team has visited several cities across the world as Tiger and Zoya are on their most deadly mission yet in the third instalment of this action spectacle franchise. The entire team has left no stone unturned for brilliantly completing challenging shoot schedules during the pandemic because of the scale that director Maneesh Sharma and YRF wanted to achieve. So, if they have decided to postpone the Delhi schedule, it is definitely a very well thought-out decision from the production house.”
Reportedly, other than YRF’s Tiger 3, the production house’s Pathan starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, has also hit a roadblock due to the pandemic. Other big banner films that have come to a sudden stop are Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday’s Liger, and Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.
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Reportedly Karan Johar, who is helming Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani was all set to shoot a song featuring Ranveer and Alia in Mumbai’s Goregaon Film City on January 10. However, according to a source close to the project, this shoot has been put on hold for the time being.
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A source tells indianexpress.com, “The song’s shoot was planned much in advance and a set was already being built on a grand scale. However, Karan (Johar) did not want to take any chances with the rising cases of Covid-19 in Mumbai, he wanted to make sure that his cast and crew stays safe in these testing times. The set will, however, stay up until they can resume the shoot at a better time.”
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Liger actor Vijay Deverakonda on Friday took to his social media platforms to share an update on his film also starring Ananya Panday, Ramya Krishnan and Mike Tyson. Sharing a picture of himself chilling with his pet dog, Storm. Vijay Deverakonda tweeted, “Apparently, it’s another wave Storm. Shoots cancelled. Back to us just chilling at home.”
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Reportedly Puri Jagannadh had scheduled the wrap of the film with a high-octane action sequence and a couple of crucial scenes. This is not the first time that Deverakonda’s film has been affected due to the pandemic. The production of Liger was halted in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown in the country.
With the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the country, several other production houses will be taking a call on whether to continue shooting or not, even when the shooting crews have been following the SoPs that were issued by the government of India.
While many filmmakers are choosing to postpone their schedules, some are ensuring safety on sets. Our sources inform us that producer Ramesh Taurani, who recently announced Sriram Raghavan’s festive thriller, titled Merry Christmas with Katrina Kaif, has ensured strict safety protocols.
Many producers, in the second lockdown in 2021, shifted their sets to other states like Goa and Gujarat to continue shooting. This time too, producers might consider moving out of Mumbai to low-risk states for shoot completion and set up bio bubbles.
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