The suspension of shoots till March 31 has had a domino effect in Bollywood, with daily wage workers being hit the hardest. Even as the Producers' Guild and the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) have come to their aid, many sections of the community are struggling to make ends meet — a case in point being the background dancers who, due to lack of work, are returning to their hometowns.

Zahid Shaikh, president, Cine Dancers' Association (CDA) that comprises 900 background dancers, says, "Shoots won't start anytime soon. We are grateful to the FWICE for providing groceries in such times." Though the government has restricted non-essential travel, he reveals, "Many dancers have left for their hometown because it is difficult to survive in Mumbai without work. They have to pay rent, electricity and mobile bills, and it is not easy to meet these demands [without the regular flow of income]. Some left without informing us, only dropping a message with their account details in it."