Shot 'Coronavirus' film in lockdown while strictly following guidelines: Ram Gopal Varma
Mumbai: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on Wednesday said he has shot a film, titled "Coronavirus", during the lockdown while following all the necessary precautions and guidelines.
All the film and television shootings were suspended from mid-March to avoid the spread of the virus.
Varma took to Twitter to unveil the trailer of the film, which he said is based on the pandemic. The film is directed by Agasthya Manju with Varma attached as a producer.
Taking dig at celebrities videos in quarantine, Varma said, "When the rest of film people were sweeping floors, cooking food, washing utensils, drying clothesetc etc I made a film."
"We shot the coronavirus film in the lockdown period while strictly following guidelines," he said.
The film's trailer shows a woman coughing profusely in her room, making her family worried that she might have contracted the coronavirus.
"Coronavirus is not a horror film. It is about the horrors which are inside all of us including our great political leaders and bureaucrats who actually know only as much as us which is just nothing," Varma said.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, the star of Varma's many films including the "Sarkar" series, "Nishabd" and 'Sholay' remake, cheekily titled "Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag", also shared the trailer of the film.
"The irrepressible Ram Gopal Varma, 'Ramu' to many .. 'Sarkaaar' to me .. makes an entire film about a family in Lockdown, shot during Lockdown ..Titled: CORONAVIRUS .. perhaps the first film to be made on the virus ..This be the TRAILER," Bachchan tweeted.
The director was once regarded as the pioneer of new age cinema with his cult hits "Satya", "Company", "Shool", "Sarkar" and horror films such as "Raat" and "Bhoot". His more recent cinematic outings have not been as successful
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West Asia crisis: MEA establishes control room to assist Indians
New Delhi (PTI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a control room to assist those affected by the escalating crisis in West Asia.
The MEA has said almost one crore Indian citizens live in West Asia and their safety and well-being is of "utmost priority" for New Delhi.
As the Iran-US conflict widened, the Indian embassy in Iran moved hundreds of Indian students from the Iranian capital of Tehran to safer locations.
"A Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region," the MEA said on Wednesday.
"The Control Room can be contacted from 9 am to 9 pm at: 1800118797 (Toll Free) +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 7905," it added.
The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The MEA on Tuesday noted that almost one crore Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf region, and their "safety and well-being is of utmost priority."
"We cannot be impervious to any development that negatively affects them," it said.
The MEA said New Delhi will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and take relevant decisions in the national interest, adding it is in touch with the governments in the region as well as other key partners.
A Special Control Room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current situation in West Asia and the Gulf region. Details are as below ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 4, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/nK3d6SY9Pa pic.twitter.com/v2EhUI5B1x
