Late last week, only days after the state government greenlit shoots in Mumbai, Bhumi Pednekar expressed her enthusiasm to return to work as she wrote on
Instagram, “Bye bye pyjamas, ready to restart life.” Yesterday, she returned to the all-familiar world of make-believe as she began filming for an untitled project with co-star Akshay Kumar at Film City, Goregaon.
“I was itching to be back on the sets. I consider myself fortunate to be starting work as soon as the unlocking began in Maharashtra. The industry has gone through a lot since last year, and it has been pushed to the brink by the pandemic,” says the actor.
In the aftermath of the second wave of the pandemic, the mood on the set of the Aanand L Rai-directed drama is a mix of hope and caution. Pednekar notes that people are mindful of safety norms, adding, “Vaccination will reduce the risk considerably.
It will help our industry’s daily-wage earners to resume work and provide financial stability to their families.” The actor lauds the industry bigwigs — from Aditya Chopra to Farhan Akhtar and Karan Johar — who kicked off the vaccination drive, thus ensuring that every section of the fraternity is immunised and the industry can get back on its feet.
“It’s amazing that the industry leaders have come forward to vaccinate the fraternity because that is the need of the hour. We work in an intimate environment, so safety is of prime importance.” —Mid-Day