Love in the time of corona

August 2020

After months of staying indoors and worrying about things people worry about during a pandemic, getting to do what we love the most, was like the proverbial breath of fresh air - the very same one we were denied all these days.

Filmmaking has changed quite a bit in the post-covid world. For starters, we have a whole new appreciation for the privilege of being in this field. That we can make a living from what drives us the most, is not something we’ve ever taken for granted. But let’s just say that, in these times, we have to be so lucky that we can get to make rent while having fun.

The lean crew is another fallout of the pandemic. But it would’t be fair to associate a negative word like “fall” when it has proved to be more of an improvement. Sets are precarious places in a pandemic and there is no such thing as too much precaution. Fewer people mean that we have to operate on greater efficiency and that’s not a bad thing.

Exit fat. Enter Lean Mean Crew.

Ironically, fewer people has somehow brought this quickness to the set on the whole. It’s as if every one was suddenly aware of their role, and that it rested on their shoulders alone and had to be snappy and smart about it. Or maybe it’s pure survival doing the talking. After three months of staying indoors and the lockdowns weighing hard on us all both financially and mentally, one’s livelihood became this precious commodity that really set one’s pace for the faster.

Precautions are taken on set. It begins with temperature checks and a sanitising spray all over. You are given PPE equipment at the entry - face shields, masks, PPE suits and gloves. While masks are non-negotiable, the rest is up to you.

Sanitising sprays and liquids are placed at every nook and corner. Catering is no longer a thing -the food came pre-packed.

Planning became more important than ever, so that the shoot can be done and over with at the quickest.
Though we had to pick from a much smaller talent pool, the actors for this particular film couldn’t have been more perfect. Sushmita and Abbas were so sweet on camera that many a middle-aged woman forgave the ad for interrupting their favourite serial and went awww! Like they say, the proof of the pudding is in how little contempt one’s mother in law has for it. Everything else is just Love!

Credits:

Production House: Fusion Films & Do.

Director: Sahit Anand

Executive Producers: Allan Dsouza & Geeta Laxman

Producers: Anand Akalwadi & Boris Kenneth

Marketing Producer: Melvin Sylvester

Client: Reliance Retail Pvt. Ltd

Brand: Ajio.com

Sr. VP & Business head: Vineeth Nair

Head of Marketing: Anita Devraj Mookerjee

Creative Director: Sumedha Mirani

Content Director: Nishant Bangar

Manager Social Media & PR: Neha Arora

Brand Manager: Prity Pradhan

Creative Agency: Phantom Ideas

Founder & CCO: Robert Anthoney

Creative Director: Raj Dutta & Pradeep Kumar

Buisness & Strategy Head: Ravichandran Ramanujan

Account Management: Gautham Kathpalia & Sajan Jerome

Digital Head: Jayanth Mishra

Production Head: Yusuf Padghawala

Creative Producer - Dannilla Correya

Cinematography - Dani Raymond

Music - Sachin Warrier

Styling - Wardha Ahamed

Muh - Sover Pukhrambam

Vfx - Rejin Chamandy

Cast - Abbas K, Sushmita Gopinath

Art - Balaji Dubhari - Art House Projekt

Sound - Mark Reddy

1st AC: Ashish

Focus Puller: Harish V

Gaffer: Jogi-Cinemaangdi

Camera Attd (1 & 2): Gopi | Sai

Line Producer: Anand- Perfecto Productions

Assistant Producer: Prithvi Bharadwaj

Casting: Mohena & Sachin Vinay

Production Manager: Hitesh | Mahesh

Runner: Jeevan

Dressman: Ramesh

Offline Editor: Ashok VA

Post Producer/ Post Production & CGI/ Online Editor/ Colorist- Do. Creative Labs

Sound Engineer: Sujith Hyder

Sound Studio: Octaves studio