Among the many things that the Coronavirus has disrupted, the film industry is probably the worst hit. Films have stalled productions, big-budget projects have been postponed and activities are in complete limbo. Creatively, however, this lockdown offers a silver lining. Directors and producers now have time, a rarity in their otherwise demanding schedules, to work on a bank of content that they want to create and produce. Self-isolation makes for more quiet time, and for a lot of film professionals more room for great stories.
Filmmaking has always been a field demanding in-depth knowledge and research on a variety of subjects, along with keeping with the times and constantly staying updated. In an interview on social media, director-producer Anurag Kashyap said, “Right now, I am reading a lot of Bombay based books that are related to my work. This is a great time to actually read and watch web series as that's like literature to me. It's a good time to binge on books or do a retrospective of filmmaking. Right now it is the best time to recover and see those films that unfolded at their own pace.''
A number of producers have been made the comfort of their homes a perfect place to let the creative juices flow and wouldn’t have it any other way. Creator-producer, Siddharth P Malhotra is using this quiet time as effectively as possible. “This time has been strange mix of emotions. It has given me time to reflect and introspect but at the same time it is a bit overwhelming given the alarm bells ringing. I am using this time to write, write and write some more. It's been a blessing to sit down with almost no sounds around and concentrate on the art of storytelling”, he said.
Those who have projects in the pipeline are taking this forced break to flesh out their ideas and production plans more comprehensively. Creative producer Ravi Bhagchandka, who has his next project underway, after ‘Sachin: A Billion Dreams’ hasn’t stopped working. "Along with my team I’ve been connecting virtually to discuss a number of scripts that are in the development stage. It has also given me time to develop Brewster's Millions further. The script is shaping extremely well and this isolation is helping us curate the process very effectively.” Bhagchandka said. His project, an adaptation of the famous novel Brewster’s Millions, was announced earlier this month.
"These are tremendously difficult times - uncertainty looms large. However, the silver lining in this self-isolation has honestly come with its host of benefits. It's been a time to read and reflect. Work-wise the team at Yoodlee has got a lot of time to read and discuss scripts at length. We are all working from home and connecting through various apps to deliberate on various projects. It's really given us the luxury of time without a hovering deadline to examine and analyse in which direction we want our future projects to be. Also all our projects that are ready for release - we are ensuring our marketing strategy is in place and ready to launch the moment this crisis averts and things start limping back to normal'' says Siddharth Anand Kumar, VP, TV, and films, Saregama.
Apart from spending time with their loved ones and bonding like never before, producers and directors in the industry are further nurturing their craft, all the while staying true to what the world needs right now. "I am taking every precaution as per the WHO guidelines. Social distancing and isolation.”, said veteran producer Anand Pandit. “This self-curfew has given me the time I needed to read a lot of the scripts that we have been getting at Anand Pandit Motion Pictures. I have also been watching a lot of shows that were recommended by my friends and amazed at the quality of storytelling. Honestly, it's been a time to reflect, rejuvenate and read."
(Source: Agencies)
