Ram Gopal Varma on shooting Coronavirus during lockdown: 'I didn't need to take permission'

Director Ram Gopal Varma, who surprised everyone by shooting a film titled Coronavirus during the lockdown, has said that he didn't need to take permission, as his team was strictly following the guidelines.

Everyone in the film industry self-quarantined at their houses supporting and respecting the governments' call for stalling their film shoots. Two months after the lockdown was announced, they are holding meetings to discuss to resume shootings. But Ram Gopal Varma's team was out in the field, has silently completed the shoot of his upcoming movie Coronavirus and is ready to release it on the OTT platform ShreyasET.

Some people in the industry are curious to know how Ram Gopal Varma's team completed the production of Coronavirus when the governments halted all the process. "I started the film a week after the lockdown was announced, and finished it during the lockdown period, following guidelines. I did not use any film industry union members, because all of them are amateurs," RGV told Deccan Chronicle when asked about it.

Talking about the permission to shoot Coronavirus, Ram Gopal Varma told DC, "I believe in doing rather than talking, and in extreme situations like this, it's important that we think of innovative ways to do our work. Like the old saying goes "Necessity is the mother of invention." I didn't need to take permission, because we were strictly following the guidelines. And yes, all precautions were taken."

Some celebs recently met the state governments, which are set to give permission to start shootings with minimum people. Directors like SS Rajamouli are now making plans for it. Elaborating on shooting, RGV said, "Technology has reached a point where not only cameras but every aspect of film technology is available to all. The film industry lives in a state of denial, reminiscent of the saying "The wife is the last to know"."

RGV recently announced to release his next movie Climax starring Mia Malkova on the ShreyasET app. Talking about the OTT platforms, the filmmaker said, "I have never made a film for YouTube though I did make a short film titled The Foreigner, which garnered 46 million views on the last count. I am doing a series for OTT and I am also starting my own platform called RGVWorld."