Ace director SS Rajamouli had reportedly requested Telangana's Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav during a recent meeting to allow them a one-day trial shoot with limited crew amid the pandemic. Fortunately for the industry, the Telangana government has issued a G.O. giving permission for film shoots.
Certainly, filmmakers are rescheduling their films which were planned to be shot in foreign locations. They are erecting sets in Hyderabad and other locations in India which are safe for shoot and even making few changes in the script accordingly.
RRR is the most affected film due to corona and lockdown. The delay is causing a surge in the film's budget. The biggest problem for the makers is few of the actors who are part of the film may find it difficult to adjust call sheets. Especially, foreign actors may not get permission or they may not show interest to stay in the country during these testing times.
India will take a decision on resumption of international passenger flights only after other countries ease restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals, as announced by Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday. Several countries like Japan and Singapore have put significant restrictions on the entry of foreigners amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Even if the government gives permission for foreign actors to enter the country, the actor may not dare to come here to shoot, given India is witnessing massive spike in COVID-19 cases.
RRR starring NTR and Ram Charan features Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris in important roles and other foreign actors in British troupe.
This is not just the problem of RRR, many other films which have foreign actors in important roles will face similar problems. It’s indeed tough for the filmmakers to take care of the stay, food etc. of the foreign actors.