Actor Aftab Shivdasani shared his experience of working amid the coronavirus pandemic in an interview with the Indian Express as he started shooting for web series, ‘Poison 2’. “Virus is not going away anytime soon, and we need to learn how to live with it for a bit,” said the actor.

The Maharashtra government had announced on May 31 that film and television shoot can resume in non-containment zones from June, following a 16-page set of guidelines. Aftab talked about resuming work after a long break due to the lockdown. He said, “It felt good to be back on sets, doing what I love. Every one of us will have to get back to work to sustain ourselves. We better get used to the new normal. The set had all safety measures in place, and we would regularly wash and sanitise our hands.”

Admitting the need to stay safe in the current situation, Aftab said that wearing a mask has now become a habit. “Since we have been practising social distancing for more than 90 days now, wearing a mask and following precautions has become automatic,” he said. Sharing a fun memory from the set, he recalled an incident where the director had to pause after Aftab began shoot wearing a mask following a coffee break. “It looked like we were shooting on a space station and not a film set,” he said.

Commenting on the new clause by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) that requires all unit members to submit COVID-19 negative reports before starting work he said, “Things are strict, only once we got our negative reports, were we allowed to come for the shoot. Before we enter the set, in the morning, our body temperature is checked. We are sanitised. I think it is a healthy trend to make sure we stay safe and healthy on and off the sets.”

With new regulations to follow, shooting norms have drastically changed in the industry to ensure the safety of all cast and crew members. “Everybody reaches the set on time. We shoot in shifts allocated to us, pack up between 6 pm to 6.30 pm to make sure everybody reaches home before 9 pm, to observe the night curfew. People in general seem to have become more understanding and working on the set feels good,” said the actor.