A still from the movie Yuvarathnaa
BENGALURU: The Kananda film industry is facing the side effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the world. Kannada filmmakers who often opt to shoot song sequences in exotic locations outside India are now tackling the coronavirus scare. They are taking preventive measures, by either changing their plans of travelling abroad, finalising new locations within India or postponing shoots.
Puneeth Rajkumar and Darshan starrers have had to change their plans. Tharun Kishore Sudhir, the director of Roberrt starring Darshan, had originally planned to shoot the song sequences in Spain, but has now decided to shoot in India. “Our film’s cinematographer Sudhakar S Raj had been on a recce and had even finalised a location in Spain. But the news of the virus hitting Europe was announced the very next day of his return to Bengaluru. As a precautionary measure, we have postponed the shoot. We will shoot the song on a location here.”
The makers of Puneeth Rajkumar’s Yuvarathnaa, directed by Santhosh Ananddram, have cancelled their schedule in European countries. A song featuring Puneeth and Sayyeshaa in Austria and Slovenia in the first week of March has now been postponed .”The shoot for Yuvarathnaa in Europe has been cancelled due to the #CoronaVirus scares. Will keep you all posted for further updates. Don’t believe in speculations/ rumours,” tweeted the production house, Hombale Films. Karthik Gowda, executive producer of Hombale Films, and distributor, KRG Studios, said, “I don’t think coronavirus has affected the film industry, except for those who were planning to shoot abroad, which is just 4 to 5 per cent. It doesn’t make a difference. There is always an alternative.”
Many other filmmakers too are forced to have a rethink on shooting abroad. Jayathirtha, director of the movie Banaras, who had initially planned to shoot a song in Singapore, has shifted to Sri Lanka, and the team is heading for a recce there on Thursday.
“Circumstances have led us to compromise on locations. But at the same time, we can’t take risks. My story demanded a place like Singapore. But now we have dropped it and have opted for Sri Lanka. If need be, Goa can be an alternative,” Jayathirtha said.
Prem, the director of Ek Love Ya, said that his film’s shooting schedule too has been hit by the virus scare, leading to the delay in the release date. “We had planned to shoot a song either in Egypt or France. But the outbreak has led to the change of schedule and place, and I am yet to take a call,” he said.
Haris Mushtaq, who runs a travel agency — Location to Location — said travel has been affected big time, whether it is with regard to tourism or film industry. “People are worried as they don’t know whether the places they plan to visit or shoot have been sanitised. From our end, we are creating awareness, and we have left it to the travellers and filmmakers to take a call,” said Haris, who added that Yuvarathnaa team, who had planned to travel to Slovenia for a song sequence, have now postponed the shoot.
