Coronavirus pandemic is bringing the whole world to a halt. The virus, which originated from Wuhan, China, has spread across the world including India. As a response, states across the country are shutting down public arenas like cinema theatres and malls. Now, the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) has announced that they are stopping all film and TV shooting from March 19.

Speaking to Cinema Express, RK Selvamani says, “Till yesterday, we were not prepared for such a drastic step. However, on the face of life-threatening disease money loss is irrelevant. That’s why we have decided to stop the shooting from March 19.”

A review meeting will be convened on March 25, and FEFSI will make further decisions based on the scenario then.

Talking about the monetary impact of the shooting halt, RK Selvamani says, “Labour cost for all the film actors would sum up to about Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh for the serial actors. Technicians' labour would alone come up to Rs 5 to Rs 10 crore. Even producers are going to take a huge hit as serials and films would be stopped halfway.”

When asked if the industry will be able to face such a loss, Selvamani says, “This is a worldwide crisis, and we have to do our part. Our technicians travel all around the country to places like Goa, Mumbai, and Delhi. 500 members will always be on the go. They can carry this virus and spread it to everyone. So, FEFSI wants to help the government and have arrived at this decision.”