Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment complete 'Hello Charlie' and 'Dongri to Dubai' amid Coronavirus scare!

Amid the relaxation in lockdown, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment resumed shooting for their next two projects ‘Hello Charlie’ and ‘Dongri to Dubai’ taking all necessary precautions. The production house also completed the shoot of a song for Hello Charlie, making it the first Bollywood film to go on floors along with Dongri to Dubai. The makers shot the films adhering to government guidelines and taking additional precautions as well as ensuring the safety of cast and crew.

The makers shot with a unit of about 150 members as they executed the schedule in accordance with the guidelines for risk protection against the contagion of COVID-19 during filming. The days were divided between both- ‘Hello Charlie’ and ‘Dongri to Dubai’ and the shoot successfully completed.

Taking to their social media, Excel movies shared, “We are back to doing what we love the most - making movies, with the people we love the most- our cast and crew!

#MasksDistanceAction

@ritesh_sid @faroutakhtar"

Ritesh Sidhwani posted, “We are back to doing what we love the most - making movies, with the people we love the most- our cast and crew!

#MasksDistanceAction

@faroutakhtar @excelmovies"

Farhan Akhtar also took to his social media handle and shared, “Getting back to work is a relief and a joy but given the times we’re in, it’s important to be socially responsible and keep the environment hygienic for the crew and cast. They work to create. We work to keep them safe. #MasksDistanceAction

@excelmovies"

The precautions for the shoot were divided into a four-stage process. From travel permission from authorities, mandatory Steps to follow after one arrives on set, safety measures available on set, to COVID Guideline crew handbook for set etiquettes and other information.

The 9-step mandatory precautions taken included temperature checks, passing through a sanitization tunnel, sanitization of hands, oxygen level check, provision of safety kits (mask, hand gloves, face shield, PPT kit), signing of self-declaration form, provision of wristbands for access and wearing safety gears for all members of cast and crew.

In addition to this, availability of safety gears (masks, face shield, hand gloves, PPE suit, head cap, and shoe covers ), herbal disinfectant spray tunnel, disinfectant smoke machine for equipments and materials, UV trunk for F&B, bio-disposable Bins- only for COVID gear wastage, sanitizer Sprinkler, sanitization leg press stands in & around set, self-service for packaged food and water, regular verbal reminders on the mic by first AD and EP to maintain distance, change masks, exit set and sanitize hands along with fresh unopened makeup and disposable applicators-- are the precautions that were taken on the sets.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani had also recently taken to his social media and posted a picture of the crew in PPE gear which had gotten the audience excited. With this, Excel Entertainment has led the way for safe filming with all precautions, for all others.