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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CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to increase LPG supply
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the Centre to immediately intervene to address a severe shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru, saying the crisis is forcing restaurants and related establishments to shut down and impacting a wide cross-section of the public dependent on the hospitality sector.
In a letter written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday and shared with the media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted a sharp mismatch between demand and supply, noting that only a fraction of the required cylinders is being made available.
“As against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations etc., we are able to supply only 1,000 cylinders per day,” the Chief Minister said.
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He added that the shortage has led to a visible increase in shutting down of establishments due to unavailability of commercial LPG, affecting students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers and others reliant on the hospitality ecosystem.
Referring to recent directions from the Ministry prioritising domestic LPG supply, Siddaramaiah said the State has taken steps to regulate allocation for essential segments in line with the Centre’s guidelines, but the situation remains critical.
The CM also flagged the absence of an integrated monitoring system for commercial LPG distribution, in contrast to the existing IT system for domestic gas supply, leading to gaps in transparency and oversight.
He further pointed out that Auto LPG, a key fuel for autorickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.
Noting that India is expected to receive two LPG tankers soon, Siddaramaiah sought the Union Minister’s intervention to ensure adequate allocation to Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, considering its operational needs and dependency patterns.
“I request your kind intervention to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, keeping in view the operational requirements and unique dependency patterns of the State, especially city of Bengaluru,” he said.
