Film Production
Fazila Allana, Sandiip Sikcand on new shooting rules for Telugu show ‘Gorintaku’
MUMBAI: Earlier this month the Telangana government granted the permission to resume film and TV shooting as well as post-production work all over the state. While there are challenges there is also relief for being able to start work with safety measures. SOL India – Banijay Group founder and MD Fazila Allana and producer, creative director and actor Sandiip Sikcand have resumed shooting for their Telugu show Gorintaku. According to them, shooting during the pandemic is challenging but not impossible.
Gorintaku is a Telugu daily show that is telecast on Star Maa and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar too.
Allana told indiantelevision.com that the show was already in process with 200 episodes done before the lockdown. The shooting resumed on 18 June with all necessary precautions like masks, gloves, temperature checks, sanitation and safety protocols being diligently followed. Insurance plan has also been introduced for entire cast and crew.
In fact, she highlights that hair and make up artists are using PPE kits to ensure maximum safety. Make up products and brushes are different for different actors. Allana also mentions that as per the guidelines introduced by Star Maa, there are no group scenes and too many outdoor scenes are avoided to keep out crowding. Episodes of weddings or large gatherings are not happening.
Apart from that, there are fewer people in a team. Scripting has been rewritten to facilitate a lot more social distancing. There are no intimate scenes as well so close up chemistry shots are being compromised.
Sikcand also mentiones that children and elderly citizens are not allowed on the set. If required, elderly people are not asked to come more than four times a month.
As per Telegana government’s rule 40 people can be there on the set. However, Sikcand shares that shooting is happening with bare minimum people while the rest stay outside the set.
To make the daily soap more realistic and appealing in the eyes of audience, Covid2019 situation has been included in the script itself. In order to create a bank of fresh episodes, the entire script has been rewritten.
During the scene, the actors are wearing masks, gloves and are also using sanitizers.
He notes that it is taking more time than usual to film a scene. “For the safety and security of cast and crew, I don’t mind slowing down the production. As far as audiences are concerned, they want to see something which is real and natural,” he further says.
Both Allana and Sikcand are hoping that shooting happens smoothly and soon things go back to normal and for now, things need to be done with precautions.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
