Shooting of films and television serials in Mumbai can resume within a bio bubble till 5 pm from Monday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on June 5.
However, multiplexes and single screens will continue to remain shut.
On May 30, the state announced an extension of the lockdown till June 15, with a five-level unlocking plan.
According to the BMC, Mumbai falls under the Level 3 category based on the criteria of positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy.
As of Monday, Maharashtra recorded 1,88,384 active cases which have gone down by 2,494 cases since Sunday, as per the state government data.
Last week, in a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) requested to allow films and television serial to resume production in the state, ANI reported.
“With reference to the subject matter, we would like to draw your attention to the numerous requests sent to you by the FWICE and the co-ordination committee regarding our requests for resumption of work in the M&E (Media and Entertainment) industry. However, none of our letters have been responded by your good office and no decision has been taken on our requests,” the letter read.
The letter also stated that “lakhs of artists, workers and technicians” who are jobless since the past one and a half year, beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, earn their livelihood solely from the entertainment industry.
“The lockdown of the industry has impacted the lives of these daily wage workers who have absolute no other source of income and are totally dependent on the work of the industry,” the letter added.
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Stating that the extension of the statewide lockdown was a “major setback” for the daily wagers and producers, FWICE wrote that it would also affect the producers badly with their huge investments into running projects.
“We being the mother body of 32 different crafts of artists, workers, technicians of the industry have been receiving numerous calls from our members regarding their difficult survival conditions and requesting us to start work of the industry,” the letter further read.
In the letter dated June 2, the FWICE had requested “special” permission to resume work while ensuring strict adherence to the SOPs and guidelines issued by the state government.
Films and television shooting is still halted in states including West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.