Ram Setu's 45 artists testing positive for Covid-19 are ‘False Reports’; details below...

Akshay Kumar’s Covid-19 diagnosis comes as a shock to Bollywood and he has multiple projects in the pipeline. The actor’s upcoming film Ram Setu recently went on floors, however, a few days into filming, the lead actor was tested positive. 

Shortly after the news of Akki’s diagnosis numerous reports suggested that 45 people have tested positive on the same film’s sets, or during the shoot. 

The makers, however, denied it outright as Vikram Malhotra, Abundantia Entertainment, who is co-producing the film, said this is “absolutely inaccurate and a total misrepresentation of facts.”

He also mentioned that as part of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down for the safety of everyone on a shoot, advance and frequent Covid tests are carried out for all crew members.

A recent Hindustan Times report quoted Malhotra as he said, “In line with the same, and ahead of the shoot to be held on April 5 in Madh Island, around 190 people were tested on 3rd at an off-location testing camp in Versova, Mumbai from which a certain number were to be selected for the shoot. Out of these 190-odd people, 25 people tested positive and were, therefore, removed from those who qualified to be part of the unit for shoot the next day.”

Clarifying that none of the 45 individuals - testing positive for Covid-19 - were ever a part of the unit or present on the film’s set. “The expenses for this off-location testing and all such tests is borne entirely by the film’s production and is monitored by the production team,” the co-producer added, reported Hindustan Times. 

Kumar being infected with the virus, he says, had nothing to do with these tests or those 45 people being diagnosed positive. Malhotra also mentioned that the shoot lined up for April 5 had to be suspended and there is absolutely no connection or correlation between the two developments as the very shoot that is being quoted in the false story never took place!

Meanwhile, as part of the protocol, crew members who were in proximity of Kumar have been tested and have followed self-isolation. Co-stars, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Jacqueline Fernandez, too have followed the safety procedures and got tested. According to the recent reports, the two have also been tested negative for the novel coronavirus.