Actors in Bengal television industry will not shoot intimate scenes for their shows as production work restarts in the state, two months after it was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was taken during a meeting of producers, artistes, technicians and representatives from TV channels held here on Tuesday to discuss the guidelines for indoor and outdoor shooting.
The West Bengal government has permitted shooting for movies and television shows from June 1.
"During the meeting, it was decided that there will be no intimate scenes like those of kissing. Actors will be allowed to take off their masks only during the time of shooting," one of the TV serial producers told PTI.
The producers have also proposed that a maximum of six actors should be allowed on the shooting floor at a time, he said.
The producer added that while there was near unanimity in not bringing children below 10 years of age to the sets or outdoor locations, the proposal to engage people aged above 65 on the floor needs more discussion.
"We discussed the guidelines as it is a completely new situation. But we have to ensure that all protocols are followed before shooting takes place. We cannot afford a situation in which one of the actors tests COVID-19 positive and the entire shooting unit is quarantined," he said.
Concerns pertaining to feature films and web series were not discussed in the meeting and are expected to be taken up in subsequent meetings. Meanwhile, West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum general secretary Arindam Ganguly said they proposed that Rs 25 lakh be paid to an artiste in case of death due to COVID-19.
"The producers, however, stressed on the need to raise a common fund for both the infected and the deceased," Ganguly added.
The issues discussed will be taken up during a meeting with West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas scheduled on June 4.
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