Corona crisis

It’s no secret that the Corona crisis lockdown has unleashed the hidden talents of many. Social media pages are flooded with thoughts and pictures of unique aspects people discovered in themselves during this time of forced isolation.

Whereas we do have our usual suspects, here comes a very unlikely candidate — India’s No.1 hair, makeup and prosthetic specialist, the National Award-winning lady Preetisheel Singh.

To their surprise, Preetisheel’s family has realized that she not only excels in look designing and makeovers, but is also a phenomenal cook. Yes! as if cooking up and curating looks for movies such as Padmaavat, Chhichhore, Bala, 102 Not Out, Thackeray and Housefull 4 wasn’t enough, Preetisheel has broken a record of sorts, by experimenting with a number of exquisite foods and dishes in the last three months. And her family swears that most of them have turned out to be utterly delicious.

Preetisheel Singh and her partner-husband Mark Dsouza - Pic 1 — Preetisheel Singh with her partner-husband mark Dsouza

Spending her lockdown days in her hometown Pathankot with her parents, siblings and her work partner and husband Mark Dsouza, the look transformation wiz has earned a new nickname for her wonderful cooking talents. Her folks now call her the The Lockdown Masterchef.

As the country has entered the fifth phase of the Corona crisis lockdown as well as Unlock 1 (as it is called) from June 1, 2020, the Maharashtra government has put across some stringent guidelines for film and television shootings to resume.

Giving the green signal to resume film, television and streaming services shoots with strict preconditions, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedures, titled “Guiding Principles to Restart Entertainment Industry in Maharashtra.” These set of ‘principles’ and measures will be active until further notice.

Ace photographer Sharat Chandra has welcomed the government’s decision. An elated Sharat says, “The Indian film industry, like most other industries, has suffered a huge setback during the lockdown. I heartily welcome the government’s decision to slowly and steadily open the doors for the film industry to get back on its feet.”

“Considering the fact that cricket and Bollywood are just like religions in India, its time when people stranded inside their homes for so long, are permitted to have a bit of respite. The very fact that they would now feel that they can see their Bollywood idols back on the screen soon, is a heartening thing,” adds Sharat.

Under the new rules, producers who wish to conduct shoots in the city will have to seek permission from the managing director of the Maharashtra Film, Theatre and Cultural Development Corporation (Film City). Film shoots across other cities or districts in Maharashtra will need permission from the collectors of those districts.

An important regulation is that the state government has recommended an on-set crew of a third of the original strength. The presence of an ambulance, a doctor and a nurse will be compulsory on every set, along with the monitoring of the body temperature. A significant ruling is that children below the age of 10 and adults over the age of 65 will not be permitted to participate in the shooting.