Boney Kapoor: Optimistic about Indian film industry bouncing back post COVID-19 pandemic

The film and TV production is expected to resume operations after a brief shutdown. While there's no clear timeframe for it to resume, the Producer’s Guild of India has submitted safety measures for recommencing on-set shoots to the government this week.

Opening up about the impact of lockdown on the film industry, Boney Kapoor says, "The impact is going to be severe. We have seen a complete halt in all activities across production, exhibition, and distribution. Cinemas are closed. Production has stopped. Hence distribution companies have no work. This means companies in the industry will report nil incomes and losses. From white-collar executives to daily wage earners, all are facing a reduction in salaries and/or job losses."

Confident about the film industry bouncing back to its former strength, Kapoor believes that it will grow exponentially with better content, better technology, and a varied distribution ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has affected his three upcoming projects including Ajay Devgn-starrer Maidaan. The 16-acre set of the film has been dismantled due to the lockdown. “We built a massive outdoor set covering a 16-acre plot around Mumbai, with the entire production infrastructure. Just as the shooting was getting underway, the pandemic hit the world. We had to ensure the safety of our entire crew so we had to stop all preparation and send everyone home. The set has now been dismantled as the rains are due to arrive in Mumbai. The rebuild will take at least two months, which earliest will start in September, so shooting can commence only in November,” Kapoor said.

Meanwhile, last week, Kapoor’s 23-year-old domestic help had tested positive for COVID-19 and the filmmaker had shared in a statement that they are taking all the precautionary steps.