Film report card: The way forward!

As talks start about Bollywood getting back to work post lockdown, we take a look at how things have been planned, and what films are waiting in line

Over the past few days, there have been a lot of murmurs about how film shoots can re-start after lockdown 3.0 comes to an end. And whenever Bollywood gets back to work, they’ll have a string of films that were about to reach the finishing line before lockdown 1.0 kicked in.

Kartik Aaryan in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Among many such movies are Mumbai Saga, Arjun Kapoor-Rakul Preet starrer next, Radhe, Laxmmi Bomb, Brahmastra, The Big Bull, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Haseen Dillruba, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s next, Khaali Peeli, Bunty Aur Babli 2, Anurag Kashyap and Sujoy Ghosh’s respective next films, and Laal Singh Chaddha among others.

While Haseen Dillruba has just five-day work left, Mumbai Saga will be completed in three-four days. “We have about 10 days of shoot left for our film. But what can you do in such a situation?” says Arjun Kapoor. “We had just one song left in Laxmmi Bomb, and 5-6 days of shooting for Indoo Ki Jawani,” adds Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 actor Kiara Advani (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was shot for about four days into a 14-day Lucknow schedule when the shooting halted). Mumbai Saga maker Sanjay Gupta says that “only three days’ shoot and two songs are to be finished” on his film.

Kiara Advani has 5-6 days left from her shoot of Indoo Ki Jawani

Amid the talks of getting back to work, makers feel “everyone will be extremely anxious” about it. But industry insiders admit it can be “extremely frustrating” for those filmmakers whose films are “so close to the finishing line.”

John Abraham in Sanjay Gupta’s Mumbai Saga, which according to the filmmaker has “three days’ shoot and two songs” still to be shot

Experts feel more than the small and mid-range films, it’s the big films that will feel the pinch, especially those who have “started off [shoot] but a lot of it is yet to be done.” “They are going to find it difficult in terms of spiraling investment, cast and crew’s dates and finding a window to start/finish work whenever shoots start,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.