In her first post-COVID shoot, Vidya Balan films ad for skincare brand as producers Karan Johar, Punit Malhotra oversee safety measures adopted on the set
Vidya Balan. Pic/Instagram
Even as some Bollywood producers are undecided about returning to the sets in the current scenario, Karan Johar's Dharma 2.0 — the ad film and digital wing of Dharma Productions — began work earlier this month. Among its first projects was a commercial with Vidya Balan for an antiseptic cream brand. The actor got a taste of shooting in the post-COVID world as she filmed the ad with director Shashank Khaitan at Mehboob Studios in Bandra in the third week of August.
A unit hand reveals that Punit Malhotra, who heads Dharma 2.0 with Garima Vora, was present at the shoot to ensure that the state government's on-set guidelines were duly followed. "He arrived on the set early morning to check the safety measures, and ensure the floor was sanitised ahead of the day-long shoot. Punit and Shashank, along with Karan, had hand-picked a skeletal crew of 25 for the project. The entire team, including the director, was dressed in PPE suits provided by the production house," says the source.
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Karan Johar, Shashank Khaitan and Punit Malhotra
Johar did not want to increase the unit strength by bringing a catering team on board. "Instead, boxed meals were delivered from a star hotel close to the studio," reveals the unit member. The production house has since shot for three more commercials with Anil Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Tiger Shroff.
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