In mid-April, leading films bodies had jointly shot off a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, discussing the possibility of a mass vaccination drive for all film workers (Film City board ready to open vaccination booth, April 17). In the days since, as it patiently awaited a reply from the CMO, the entertainment industry started feeling the pinch of the shutdown as countless productions remained halted and daily wagers flocked to their hometowns. Now, the film associations — including the Indian Film and Television Producers’ Council (IFTPC), Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), and others — have shortlisted three centres, and intend to send another letter with a detailed inoculation plan to the state government, seeking its approval.

A meeting with leading producers and stakeholders of the industry was lined up yesterday to take stock of the situation. Hours before the meeting, JD Majethia, chairman, television & web, IFTPC, told mid-day, “After the internal meeting today, we will write another letter to the CM. Our industry has 10,000 active members [who are attached to ongoing projects] and over five lakh members. We want to set up camps so that they can easily get vaccinated.”