NEW DELHI: The board of directors of Tips Industries has in-principal agreed to consider the demerger of the film division of the company into a separate entity.
A demerger committee formed by the board will appoint the valuer, merchant banker for fairness opinion and other intermediaries for this purpose. The board on receipt of the valuation report will study, discuss and initiate the next steps.
Following this announcement, the Kumar Taurani-led company’s stocks declined 1.2 per cent on the NSE.
Over the years, Tips’ film division has churned out many popular Bollywood flicks like all three instalments of the Race franchise, Coolie No.1 , Entertainment, Ambarasiya, and Kunwara, to name a few.
Tips Industries is extremely popular for its large library of music and has a strong forte in music promotion. It recently inked a global deal with Facebook, under which the social media giant has licensed its music for videos and other social experiences across Facebook and Instagram. With the move, Facebook and Instagram users will be able to add Tips' music catalogue to their posts and stories.
NEW DELHI: Countless cups of coffee and hours of brainstorming lead to that one great creative idea that justified the brief from the brand. This used to be the scenario at a creative agency prior to Covid2019. However, with the outbreak of the pandemic, this process moved online and the entire creative industry was working from home.
It took a while for admen (and women) across the world to adjust to the new normal, but soon they did and it was full steam ahead. Despite challenges and adjustments, the agencies continued to deliver cutting-edge work that impacted people and made them think about the product and service. The creative teams also steered through the production challenges. In the initial days of lockdown, they created several films from the confines of their homes. Once the lockdown was lifted, production resumed slowly. IPL 2020 definitely gave a huge fillip to the industry as multiple brands released fresh creatives across mediums.
There is no doubt that 2020 has been an extremely tough year for the advertising industry, but it has also made them rethink, realign and push themselves to think out of the box and deliver stellar creatives.
Here’s a rundown of some of the top ads of the year.
· Burger King Moldy Whopper
Just before the pandemic struck the world and forced people to social distance, Burger King came up with an ad campaign that broke all rules of food and QSR promotions. The fast-food chain released a video of its flagship burger, the Whopper, decomposing and becoming covered in mold over the course of 34 days. The shock factor was to generate buzz about its new initiative to launch preservative free burgers in the US market. The film went viral and elicited an opinion from everyone.
· HDFC Hum Haar Nahi Maanenge
In order to spread hope and positivity amid the nationwide lockdown imposed in the country, HDFC bank released a song #HumHaarNahiMaanenge to celebrate the resilient spirit of citizens who are standing strong while also following guidelines to fight the Coronavirus. Through the campaign, the bank also aimed to draw attention to the importance of coming together for a cause and supporting more people during these tough times through the PM Cares Fund.
· Nike You Can’t Stop Us
The campaign gave hope to people in such trying times, especially with the cancellation and postponement of sporting events. The ad highlighted the power of sports and how it has the ability to bring us together and become agents of change. With a powerful narration and an equally stunning voiceover by Megan Rapinoe, the ad transcended all boundaries and became viral. It was touted as one of the finest pieces of editing.
· Amul – Dragon
The cooperative brand which has been releasing interesting topicals for over 40 years came up with another interesting piece where the Amul Girl stops a dragon. The ad was a take on the Indian government’s crackdown on Chinese apps and companies in light of the Galwan valley standoff. The creative piece was widely circulated and liked by the people even though a section of social media objected to it.
Cred took IPL 2020 by storm with its six-film campaign featuring eminent Bollywood personalities like Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Govinda, Bappi Lahiri and others auditioning for a brand ad. The films started conversation and generated recall for the brand. Despite being not-so-humorous, the ads caught the public’s attention. The idea behind the campaign was to scale up the service and reach larger audiences.
· Dream11 IPL
The fantasy sports app bagged the title sponsorship of IPL and launched a massive campaign on television with Indian cricketers like MS Dhoni, Jaspreet Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and others. The ads were funny and self-aware, as common people in the film took a dig at the brand ambassadors while playing gully cricket. For instance, one girl stopped Bumrah from bowling because he was too fast. The ads clicked and people signed up to sample the platform, hence, the campaign was successful.
· Tide Ayushmann Khurrana
Tide introduced its latest brand ambassador Ayushman Khurana and launched a new campaign with him. The actor played the role of all the family members in the film and his part reminded audiences of his role in the Bollywood flick Dreamgirl. Of late, Khurrana has become extremely popular on the back of several hits, which has helped him secure several big brand endorsements.
· PhonePe
The digital wallet brand embarked on a marketing blitz with new brand ambassadors Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt. The campaign included a series of humourous ads that showcased different features of PhonePe. The film was staged in a police station set up and kept very simple for the users to understand and adapt PhonePe as the mode of payment in their daily lives. The brand has been active throughout the year and spent heavily on advertising. It has been working towards scaling the number of app users across the country.
· Chotu
Children are god’s voice and a reflection of his greatness. However, if we look around a lot of children are called ‘Chotu’ and employed in menial, backbreaking and dangerous jobs. Dentsu Impact in association with My Choices Foundation and Saregama Caravan launched an eye-opening film on Children’s Day focusing on their struggles. The film showcased how children’s basic rights, education, dignity, hope and most of all, their childhood is snatched away from them, every single day. Currently, millions of child labourers are employed across the country in various segments like homes, factories, and construction sites. It evoked a sense of guilt and shame in many viewers, who’re familiar with these scenes but chose to ignore it.
· Facebook – More Together – Pooja Didi
The social media giant has been focusing on small businesses and trying to bring them on the platform. This year on Diwali, it launched a seven-minute-long film which was the story of Pooja Didi, a milk centre owner, who employed those who had lost their jobs due to the Covid2019 pandemic. The film showcased how employees used Facebook to engage with and bring customers to the milk store. It reflected the power of connections and people coming together to help, support and celebrate with each other.
· Cadbury Celebrations Hyperlocal Ad
For Diwali 2020, Cadbury Celebrations launched a unique initiative that provided an advertising platform to local retailers whose businesses were impacted by the pandemic. It created a data-driven campaign platform ‘Not Just A Cadbury Ad’ that included 1,800+ local retailers across 260+ pin codes in Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Indore and Pune. The chocolatier developed an algorithm that served an ad customised to the viewer based on his geo-location. The film displayed small stores that changed based on the location in which the ad was being viewed. Therefore, a person viewing the ad in Pune would be guided to small stores in Pune, in their vicinity. Cadbury custom-designed hundreds of versions of the same ad, with the relevant geo-targeting based on pin codes.
· HS Kalekar Jewellers
Most jewellery brands accentuate a woman’s femininity by portraying her in the traditional roles of wife, mother or daughter. However, Kolhapur-based H S Kalekar Jewellers highlighted her strength and indomitable spirit. The ad titled Har Beetiyan Ko Ab Durga Banna Padega (Every daughter must become a Durga) sent a message that every woman should take her safety in her own hands. The commercial began with a young girl walking alone on a deserted street and stalked by a biker. The distressed girl changes her course, and spots an old lady sweeping on the road sides and takes her broomstick and proceeds to threaten the man in pursuit. The girl manoeuvres the broomstick at high speed in nunchuck-style, which is an advanced form of martial arts. Intimidated by her martial art skills, the eve-teaser runs away. The ad ends with the girl walking through the empty streets fearlessly and leaves a strong social message.
· HUL Glow and Lovely Glow ko na roko
In the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter revolution, HUL was forced to change the name of its flagship product from Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely to avoid any controversy. It released a new campaign called Mere Glow ko Na Roko featuring popular hip hop and rap artist Dee MC who narrates her journey of overcoming obstacles and urges other women to not let anything stop them from pursuing their dreams. Through the inspiring lyrics of #GlowkonaRoko, Dee MC equates ‘glow’ with her identity, which comes from her work, her determination, and self-assurance. The campaign was more than necessary because a new brand name meant a slight change in positioning and it had to be immediately communicated to the audiences.
· Tanishq Baby Shower
The jewellery brand launched a film around the baby shower ceremony in a Muslim family for a Hindu daughter-in-law. Though the film was simple and passed the message of peace and harmony, it was met with severe backlash. However, it did help the jeweller gain a lot of eyeballs on the back of controversy. Eventually, it was forced to pull the film down.
Tanishq has officially withdrawn their ad after being trolled viciously. Here's why this is a very sad state of affairs, and context from other such ads that were trolled (and some, withdrawn) https://t.co/Nb0cSiTPHXpic.twitter.com/sn3IMBqdmC
The sleep and home solutions company launched a witty and topical video that encapsulated the trials and tribulations of 2020. It came at an opportune time to wrap up the highs, the lows, the untoward surprises and the eventful twists of 2020 and resonated with what people went through during the year.
The video was a raging success among netizens, as it struck an instant chord with people whose lives have been turned upside down due to the pandemic and being cooped up at home. Using the hashtag, #BhaadMeinJaa2020, some claimed that it captured the emotions of the year aptly while others declared it was the best video of 2020.
New Delhi: After creating a storm with its first teaser, the Amazon Original series Tandav is all set to introduce us to the phenomenal cast of this riveting political drama. Amazon Prime Video today unveiled some exceptional character looks of the ensemble including Saif Ali Khan as Samar Pratap Singh, Dimple Kapadia as Anuradha Kishore, Sunil Grover as Gurpal Chauhan, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub as Shiva Shekhar and Kritika Kamra as Sana Mir.
Never seen before in such a staggering avatar, the posters truly uncover the powerful roles that every character entails in the upcoming gripping story. The nine-episode series marks the creator and director Ali Abbas Zafar’s exciting debut in the digital streaming world and will rest assured leave the audience astounded.
Set in the capital city of the world’s largest democracy, Tandav will take viewers inside the closed, chaotic corridors of power and uncover the manipulations, charades as well as the dark secrets of people who will go to any lengths in pursuit of power. The series will be available for Prime members in India and in more than 200 countries and territories from 15 January onwards.
MUMBAI: Indian Film & TV Producers Council (IFTPC) today held its twenty-ninth AGM and re-elected Sajid Nadiadwala as president for the year 2020 2021. Nitin Vaidya is the new incumbent.
Nadiadwala addressed IFTPC team for restarting the shooting by engaging the government in continuous dialogue. He also praised the media and entertainment industry for generously helping cine workers and labourers. The new president complimented the IFTPC Team for working relentlessly in providing monetary aid and supplying food items to the industry workers. Nadiawala appreciated the effort for standing as a united body in times of difficulty to help the industry. He mourned the sad demise of many industry stalwarts such as Rishi Kapoor, Irfan Khan and P.Balsubramanium.
IFTPC chairman TV wing JD Majethia in his address complimented the Maharashtra government for acting fast to restart the industry. He congratulated TV Producers for conducting the shoots very smoothly without any major mishaps. Majethia also mentioned the first-ever death Insurance of Rs 25 lakh provided to the workers had raised their confidence to attend their duties. He also said that when pessimism prevailed in the industry it was IFTPC that was confident and worked relentlessly to restart the industry.
Bollywood producer Ramesh Taurani, David Dhavan, indiantelevision.com group founder CEO & editor in chief Anil Wanwari, producer Rajan Shahi, Lalit Sharma, Bobby Arora, Sandeep Jain and Goldie Behl also attended the Indian Film & TV Producers meeting among others.
MUMBAI: Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to permit film production post the unlock. The state is taking all necessary measures to ensure shooting takes place safely. The government has come out with a set of standard operating guiding principles that need to be followed at film sets and by the crew at all places where filming takes place.
Moreover, Madhya Pradesh is a predominantly Hindi speaking state, making it more viable and manageable for Bollywood movies. The availability of production facilities, line producers, artists, local crew etc, makes it much more economical to shoot in.
Till now, more than 200 projects including feature films, TV serial/series, TVCs and reality shows have been shot in Madhya Pradesh, such as Stree, Sui-Dhaga, Kalank, Manikarnika, Luka Chhupi, Padman, Toilet ek Prem Katha, Bajirao Mastani, Paan Singh Tomar, Lion, C, Aarakshan, and Raajneeti, to name a few.
Recently, actors like Anupam Kher and Bhumi Phednekar have wrapped up filming in Madhya Pradesh for their movies. And a few shoots with actor Vidya Balan are in the pipeline around the last week of November.
Anupam Kher said, “It is picture wrap for our movie #TheLastShow!! What an amazing, creatively satisfying and courageous journey it has been. We will miss this time together. But I think we have created something, the memories of which will last us for a lifetime. ‘Thank you’ is a small expression to express our gratitude. But we couldn’t have created this gem without the help of #MPGovt, local authorities and people of #Bhopal. Especially @mptourism dept. Jai Ho to you all. #Film #PassionAndPaseenaFilms.”
Madhya Pradesh Tourism department is liable to coordinate with the different concerned departments for shoot permission on behalf of filmmakers. The state is working on a Film Tourism Policy to simplify the process of securing permission for shoots.
The vision of this policy is to make Madhya Pradesh a major filmmaking hub and generate a number of employment opportunities in the state.
MP tourism provides the following facilities to producers/directors:
• Dedicated film facilitation cell shall work as a nodal agency to ease out the shooting permissions through single window clearance system.
• Authentic shooting locations
• Film friendly authorities and strong government support
• Easy permissions
• Modern infrastructure and omnipresent hotels
• Favourable law and order condition
• Cost-effective infrastructure, crew, local talent and other skilful workforce
• Hindi speaking people, food/cuisine flexibility and ideal climate
Comfort of filming in MP:
· A dedicated online film web portal shall be created to provide a single-point interface and time bound clearance mechanism for filmmakers intending to shoot in Madhya Pradesh.
· All the applications shall be received through online mode by the film facilitation cell and action shall be taken in coordination with the concerned department for permission.
· The portal shall also act as a platform for information dissemination related to film tourism policy and shall also act as a forum for the dissemination and the rules, regulations, also provide information on grants and other utility services.
NEW DELHI: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is taking its first steps in India with the global expansion of the Breakthrough initiative, supported by Netflix. This flagship new talent initiative is part of BAFTA’s year-round work to support new talent, operating alongside their awards ceremonies worldwide. BAFTA Breakthrough India will help facilitate the development of relationships between British talent and India’s homegrown creatives.
BAFTA Breakthrough India is a new international iteration of the highly successful Breakthrough initiative, which has been running in the UK since 2013, China since 2019 and has launched in the USA this year, supporting over 130 emerging talents to date.
Encouraging creative and cultural exchange between some of the major centres of film, games, and television in these countries, the programme has supported individuals such as Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner. Industry supporters of the initiative in recent years also include actors Oliva Colman, Naomi Harris, Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, actor-producer Brad Pitt, directors Tom Harper and Barry Jenkins, game designers Brenda Romero and Tim Schafer, and actor-writers Sharon Horgan and Amy Schumer.
In 2020, BAFTA will identify, celebrate, and support up to five exceptional talents working in film, games, or television in India, through this first-of-its-kind program in the country. By showcasing talent globally, BAFTA Breakthrough aims to turbocharge their career success by offering a bespoke programme of support – helping them to learn more about the industry, overcome barriers to progression, and network globally with people who can influence their careers.
Netflix is the official supporting partner for BAFTA Breakthrough, in the UK, USA and India, providing integral support in the global expansion. BAFTA and Netflix share a joint vision to celebrate and provide opportunities for emerging talent across the world, bringing together international communities across global networks, in order to develop and support stories and voices from different cultures.
“BAFTA is uniquely placed to facilitate creative partnerships across the moving arts, being one of the only art charities to work across film, games, and television and on a global scale,” BAFTA director of learning & new talent Tim Hunter said. “India is one of the most prolific and accomplished industries and a fascinating centre for the screen arts with lots of creative diversity, which extends far beyond the world-famous ‘Bollywood’. Some of the best practitioners in the world work in Indian film, games, and television – and practitioners from around the world have much to learn from them.”
Netflix India VP content Monika Shergill said, "Netflix shares BAFTA's vision and responsibility in providing ‘breakthrough’ opportunities to emerging talent. We’re thrilled to extend our support to the programme in India and help amplify our country's new voices. This initiative will meaningfully bring together creative communities across borders, support their stories, unearth raw talent and provide them with recognition on the world stage.”
BAFTA will work closely with local cultural bodies and industry in India to reach each sub-region's unique landscape and identify excellent individuals who have shown creative promise in film, games, and television. Participants will be selected by a jury comprising leaders from across India’s moving arts industries. The chosen participants will be offered a year-long support programme from BAFTA and be showcased across India and the UK. They will also receive one-to-one mentoring, guidance sessions, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full voting BAFTA membership as part of Breakthrough. It will enable the chosen talent to connect with and learn from some of the best in the British and Indian creative industries, share their expertise with peers around the world, gaining access to opportunities beyond geographical borders.
The Breakthrough programme will also be supported by a series of craft masterclasses, which will feature British and Indian talent sharing their expertise and insights with audiences across India and the UK. More details of the Breakthrough Masterclasses programme will be announced.
Applications for the programme will be announced as open soon.
MUMBAI: Raj Malik, the producer of the acclaimed film Madaari has now joined Miraj Group as film production and acquisition business head.
Miraj Group’s recent release was Pati Patni Aur Woh starring Riya Sen. The show was launched on MX Player. The organisation wants to accelerate its efforts towards producing engaging content that would find resonance with audiences across revenue streams. Malik will be leading the film production business for Miraj Group and build a slate of films, and OTT offerings.
With a career spanning over 22 years in the M&E sector, Malik in his earlier assignments has held senior positions at Rhiti Group, Cinestaan, Krian Media, Walt Disney, Eros and Warner Bros.
Miraj Group is a 34-year-old organisation with a diverse portfolio of businesses like food snacks, printing, and packaging, pipes and fittings, engineering, hospitality, retail, real estate and film production besides the award-winning “Miraj Cinemas”, India’s fifth-largest multiplex chain with 121 Screens across 33 cities.
MUMBAI: Yesterday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released a comprehensive set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at the resumption of production for film, television, and OTT originals. The announcement came in as a sigh of relief for many in the industry. The SOPs are in line with the protocols followed across the globe, which also specifies safe distances on shooting locations, in edit rooms, studios, and others. It includes rules on sanitization, fumigation, face masks, and availability of PPE kits. The SOPs also mention the need for an appointment of an on-set Covid2019 coordinator. Javadekar said, “Today we are laying out standard operating procedures as per the international experience and with the consultation of the health ministry and the home ministry.”
Today @MIB_India have released a detailed SOP for resuming work in the media production industry. The general principles behind the SOP will help create a safe working environment for cast and crew in the industry. pic.twitter.com/UU0NbqONeO
He further explained that contact minimisation is at the core of the SOPs. It will be ensured by minimal physical contact and sharing of props and PPEs for hairstylists and make-up artists, among others. Javadekar also highlighted that the characters in front of the camera would be exempted from wearing masks. Making this announcement on Doordarshan Javadekar said that formulating SOP measures as part of the overall decision to revive economic activities. He added, “For the last six months, this industry had come to a standstill, and many people had lost their jobs. We hope all States will adopt these SOPs.”
For a detailed list of the SOPs, click here. In a special interaction with indiantelevision.com film producer, Ramesh Taurani said, “I think it is a very good step from the government. Shoots have already started, but now they can be done in other locations as well, as the new SOPs will benefit everyone. These are practical and manageable SOPs, and the film industry is very happy. Now things will happen at a macro level. As the film shooting has started workers, actors, technicians can start work with full protection. It is a good step towards restarting the economy, as more people will get employment. The announcement came from the central government, and now it is up to the respective state government to take it forward.” Apart from laying down the social distancing norms, the ministry has also asked the production houses to ensure extensive planning. It also states that physical distancing of at least six feet is to be followed as far as feasible at all locations at all times, while sitting, standing in queues, etc. FICCI official spokesperson said, "It is a welcome move and the industry has been looking forward to this. It will help open the industry in a phased manner with all the necessary precautions . We are looking forward to working with the government to ensure we get back to business with all the norms that have been put in place. This move from central government is the umbrella document for state governments to adopt so that there is basic uniformity across the country . This is one plan laid out by the central government for the state government to follow and they can add some important details as per the specific requirement." Aspects such as scenes, sequences, set-ups, camera locations, positions of various crew members, seating arrangements, food and catering arrangements, staggered meal timings, etc. shall be planned while giving due consideration to physical distancing norms. According to the guidelines, measures shall be taken by the production team to involve a minimum number of cast and crew members during the shoot. IFTPC chairman TV wing JD Majethia shares, “It is a very welcome move. We all have been waiting for this for a very long time. It is a relief that the centre has eased out the restrictions. As shooting is now allowed across India, it would be easier for film, television, and OTT shows to shoot in different locations and studios, which was difficult to do earlier. Many people will get their employment back, hopefully in Maharashtra. If trains are allowed from next month onwards, a lot of people will get their jobs back.” He further added that the guidelines laid down by the I&B ministry are more detailed, and they have included a lot of aspects. “The measures are clear in nature. Everyone will know what to do in these circumstances. However, the state government can add or modify policies as per their requirement. States with less number of cases can ease out restrictions, whereas things will be stricter in areas where there are a higher number of cases,” adds Majethia. The Ministry has also advised that no visitors or audiences are to be allowed. In the case of outdoor shootings, necessary coordination has to be done with local police and administration to minimize spectators.
The SOP ensures adequate distancing at shoot locations and other work places and contains measures including proper sanitization, crowd management and provision for protective equipments pic.twitter.com/BCTTIzKffG
It is a moment of joy for film and OTT platforms as the Covid2019 halted the shoots at other locations, especially with large crews. "It's great news for the TV and film industry. What's more interesting is that the SOPs suggest some points for the opening of the exhibition. We are now looking forward to the opening of cinemas and getting the whole movie industry back on track," says SVF Entertainment co-founder director Mahendra Soni. Juggernaut Productions chief operating officer OTT-business Samar Khan mentions that the issuance of these SOPSs is a step in the right direction. He adds, “All of us have been eagerly awaiting the resumption of shoots but are also aware that crew safety is of utmost importance, following these guidelines will ensure that we can maintain the highest standards of safety while gradually resuming work.”
The ministry has also advised the industry to discontinue usage of lapel mics or at least to ensure that these are not shared. It also highlights that costumes, hair wigs, and makeup items for actors should not be shared. The SOPs states that artists should be encouraged to do their hairstyling and make-up remotely with the help of professionals. Panorama Studios run by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak is a subsidiary of Panorama Studios International. Abhishek Pathak has also directed movies like Ujda Chama and Boond. He thanked the I&B ministry for focussing on contact minimisation. "We welcome these guidelines. Yes, shooting will be a huge challenge in the Covid2019 era, but I think with vigilance and precautions, we can make a comeback steadily. This decision brings huge relief for industry dwellers whose livelihood depends on the creation of movies, series, and other content." Planet Marathi founder and filmmaker Akshay Bardapurkar who also produced AB Aani CD said that it is great news from the I&B minister himself. “However now with the opening of the shoots it would be great also to see theatres also opening up. He mentions that more than 100 films are stalled, and producers are suffering. I hope that the central government issues SOPs for theatres soon and opens them too,” adds Bardapurkar.
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government allowed shootings to resume but barred people above the age of 65 from participating, deprived them of a livelihood and because of which they are facing starvation, said the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) in its petition, urging the Bombay high court to quash the state government's directive.
The association represents thousands of film and television producers, short films, programmes, artists and technicians. IMPPA’s petition comes a day after the high court, on a petition by artist Pramod Pandey, questioned the basis of the state government's restriction.
IMPPA’s petition, filed with the help of advocate Ashok Saraogi, stated that prior to the lockdown, thousands of cast and crew members aged above 65 years participated in the shooting of programmes. But now, the shootings of such films and programmes have been left in between due to non-availability of such people.
IMPPA president TP Aggarwal stated that for all senior producers, directors, actors and technicians the creative medium is the only source of income and the guideline was not practical and was not fair as in no other profession this condition was imposed. He added, “After sending requests many times, we had to move to the high court for demanding the rights of earning one’s livelihood for these senior people from the fraternity.”
The IMPPA petition cites how the Karnataka high court had been specifically informed by the central government that individuals above 65 years of age had all the rights to carry out their work and the said restriction was only an advisory to stay at home. Hence, it isn't a binding order and every individual has the right to work for his livelihood and the government could not impose such regulations.
The petition also informed that the entire trade has come to a standstill and several members who are associated with the film trade are starving and many have committed suicide.
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MUMBAI: After a brief hiatus following the nationwide lockdown in India owing to the COVID-19 situation, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has obtained all relevant government permissions to resume production for its television, film and OTT businesses in India.
The network is working closely with its production partners to ensure shoots resume in a controlled environment with strict compliance to all necessary government rules, regulations and safety protocols.
At SPN, health, hygiene and sanitisation are taken very seriously, and the network is doing all that it can to ensure the safety of its cast, crew and production partners. Other than cast and crew members, visitors will not be allowed on the sets.
Moreover, SPN is actively extending its support to the Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC) in containing and minimizing the adverse impact of the pandemic on our industry. Firmly determined to extend full support to the fraternity in these difficult times, the network has undertaken the following specific initiatives:
1. Effective July 2020 uptil December 2020, full payments of the cast and crew will be released within a 30-day time frame
2. 100 per cent of the proposed insurance cost for the cast and crew will be borne by SPN during the Covid pandemic
Producers working with SPN, have been asked to strictly comply with all guidelines issued by the government and local authorities and ensure that they are not flouted in any manner whatsoever.
