Small screen projects will be allowed to shoot with a strength of up to 60 persons on set from May 31, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced on Saturday.
The decision was taken following a representation made by the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and representatives from the Tamil television industry to the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Kadambur Raju, to relax the initial norms that allowed only 20 persons on set.
In an official statement, Mr. Palaniswami said that television projects which film at locations in Chennai will have to get prior permission from the Chennai Corporation Commissioner and in other districts, from the respective district collectors. “They will need to obtain permission just once, before the entire duration of their shoot,” the statement read. All television actors and crew members have been cautioned and asked to follow Central and State norms towards preventing the spread of COVID-19.
R.K. Selvamani, FEFSI President said that a meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday with representatives from FEFSI, Tamil television actors and crew members as well as TV channels. “We are going to discuss the safety measures which can be implemented on sets. Following our discussions, we expect filming of television shows to resume,” said Mr Selvamani.
As a part of the initial guidelines, the State government had permitted only indoor shoots and had restricted the number of cast and crew on set to 20 members.
“While this recent announcement is a great boon to technicians and the industry, we need to take several precautions on set since 60 persons working together is a large number. Shooting spots in Chennai for instance, need to be chosen with care and there needs to be infrastructure in place such as sanitizers and disinfection tunnels for the cast and crew,” said Radikaa Sarathkumar, founder of Radaan Mediaworks .
Ms. Radikaa said that she expects better clarity on how to go about filming after discussions with other stakeholders on Monday. “We are also awaiting information on a possible change in norms with regard to the lockdown. Based on these factors, we will plan and proceed with filming our shows,” she added.
