Madhur Bhandarkar making Covid-themed film 'India Lockdown'

Mumbai, Nov 1

After getting positive response to his comedy-drama 'Babli Bouncer', national award-winning director Madhur Bhandarkar, is set to direct another film, and no marks for guessing, it will be Inspired by true events like his earlier films like 'Chandni Bar', 'Page 3', and 'Fashion'.

Titled 'India Lockdown', the film will follow four parallel stories and the repercussions of the covid pandemic on the people of India, and is the first Indian feature film on covid pandemic.

The movie stars Shweta Basu Prasad, Aahana Kumra, Prateik Babbar, Sai Tamhankar and Prakash Belawadi in key roles.

Commenting on the occasion, Madhur Bhandarkar said, "Lockdown was a tough phase for many as people struggled to make ends meet and that gave seed to a thought to make a film on people affected by the lockdown. 'India Lockdown' is a product of my observations, and it depicts raw stories of real people across various walks of life. This is a film that will resonate with many in some or the other way and I am glad that it will be released on ZEE5 and reach out to so many people across the world".

Written by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah with Madhur Bhandarkar, 'India Lockdown' explores the lives of disparate characters who are catapulted into an unforeseen dramatic situation instigated by the lockdown due to the corona pandemic.

The four parallel stories explored are that of a father-daughter duo who are stuck in different cities during a crucial high point in the daughter's life; a sex worker and the hardships she goes through in her personal and professional life due to the lockdown, a migrant worker who barely manages to provide bread and butter for his family and an airhostess who for the first time has some downtime compelling her to introspect.

The film will be produced by Dr. Jayantilal Gada of PEN Studios, Madhur Bhandarkar's Bhandarkar Entertainment and Pranav Jain's P J Motions Pictures.

Dr. Jayantilal Gada, Chairman & MD of Pen Studios said in a statement, "We at Pen Studios have always associated with great content and talented directors. 'India Lockdown' is just that. It has a very relevant story, and everyone shall identify with it in one way or another as no one is a stranger to pandemic. Madhur Bhandarkar is a master storyteller, and we are happy to associate with him and such content driven cinema."

'India Lockdown' will exclusively premiere on OTT platform ZEE5.