With the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions, makers have not just made changes to the serials’ narration and plots but also changed conventional shooting methods. All of us are trying our best to follow safety protocols during shoots since we do not have the option of working from home.” Speaking about how the crew has been adapting to the pandemic and the changes she has been noticing on the sets since last year, actor Gabrella Sellus, who plays the titular role in Sun TV’s popular show Sundari, tells TNM, “When I was unwell and couldn’t attend the shoot for a while, the focus was shifted to other characters and their sub-plots. A few other serials like Sun TV’s Sundari and Vijay TV’s Pandian Stores were re-telecasting older episodes until the lockdown was lifted. In many serials, including Sun TV’s Kannana Kanne, some characters went ‘missing’ and new characters were introduced to extend the plot in a different direction. While the top-rated shows continued to telecast new episodes, multiple serials on Vijay TV like Raja Paarvai, Senthoora Poove and Velaikkaran went off air for more than 10 days during the recent lockdown in the months of May and June. TNM spoke to television actors, directors as well as viewers of Tamil daily serials to look at the changes that have been incorporated in serials’ plots and production to ensure that new episodes are filmed and broadcasted during the pandemic. While movies, web series and short films are presented with the choice of either waiting for theatrical release or going the OTT way, television serials, which are broadcasted on a daily basis, have struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic. With lockdown restrictions in place due to the second wave of coronavirus, the production of several movies and shootings had to be halted.

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