Tamil Nadu Govt Permits Indoor Shooting of TV Serials in the State

Tamil Nadu government has allowed shooting of television serials in the state.

After almost two months, the Tamil Nadu government has given the go-ahead for shooting television serials in the state.

(Photo: Screenshot)

After almost two months, the Tamil Nadu government has given the go-ahead for shooting television serials in the state. Since the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the television industry has been hit hard because all shoots had come to a screeching halt. Since last week, post-production work has been allowed by the state.

On Thursday, 21 May, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami issued an order permitting only indoor shooting of TV shows. The order gave detailed instructions on what is mandatory during these schedules.

• Shooting is not allowed in containment zones and visitors are strictly not allowed.
• The location should be sanitised before and after the shoot.
• All cast and crew members should wear masks, use sanitisers and strictly adhere to social distancing norms.
• The crew strength should not exceed 20 members including the artists.
• All the equipment and the vehicles entering and leaving the locations should be sanitized at regular intervals.
• If anyone shows any symptoms, like cough, cold, fever and breathing difficulties, he or she should not be allowed to shoot and should be taken for a COVID-19 medical check immediately.
• To shoot in Chennai, the crew must obtain permission from the Corporation and those in other districts, can reach out to the district collector.

This is following continuous requests from the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and Federation of Small Screen Technicians (FESST), who said several artists have been affected without pay during this period.

It was emphasised that the should strictly follow all the guidelines from the state and the central government.

As they were unable to shoot new content in the last two months, several Tamil television channels had resorted to airing previously broadcast soaps, variety programs and films to fill slots.

The Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) has over 25,000 members. The industry has been facing a tough time, as many of these employees are daily wagers. Several actors like Khushboo Sundar and Radhika Sarathkumar took to Twitter to express their joy over the announcement.