Actors Anupam Kher and Satish Kaushik will start shooting for director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s film ‘The Last Show’ with proper safety precautions amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Since the lockdown, which was enforced in March, this will be the first time Kher and Kaushik will visit a set. The Bombay High Court recently permitted actors above 65 to resume shooting. Earlier, actors beyond this age were barred from partaking in any kind of shoot.
Talking about the safety measures being taken by the team, Anupam Kher says, “ Of course, people feel concerned, especially our families. But once they knew about the safety measures, they felt secure. We have professionals Covid marshals, ensuring all the required precautions are taken. But above all, everyone has to be considerate and caring towards others.” Further added “struggle, pain, suffering, celebration and success. We compete professionally but bond personally. We’ve never lost love and respect for each other. We’ve never looked at life from tragic point of view. We always found humour and inspiration in every situation. When Vivek discussed this inspirational story -full of beauty, love and laughter -we were fascinated by vision of human psyche. We realised that during the Covid crisis, the world needs inspiration, positivity, and above all humour. So, in a way Vivek is celebrating our unique friendship for the world to fall in love with friendship, again,”
Veteran Satish Kaushik admits he had certain hesitation about shooting for any project. “Most films shoots haven’t started and there was a sense of pessimism in people, with predictions of a slow death of cinema. Both of us and Vivek are born fighters and eternal optimists. So, we started shooting to inspire others, experiment and innovate in these times and send a message that cinema lives to entertain, inspire and fill this world with laughter.”
Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri says “I had worked meticulously on SOP and other technical aspects about the shoot in details. I proposed to do mock shoots just to make the crew used to shooting in the new environment and change habits. Plus, we are carrying three medicines with us. We believe they protect everyone against the most rigid challenges. These medicines are: Positivity, love and laughter.”
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s next directorial feature ‘The Last Show’, will celebrate 45 years of friendship shared by Anupam Kher and Satish Kaushik. The film will be jointly produced by Anupam Kher, Rumi Jafry, Satish Kaushik and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri.
