The crew of an upcoming Malayalam flick, including ace
actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, was on Friday flown back to the south Indian state
of Kerala in a specially-chartered Air India flight from Jordhan, where they
got stranded for over two months.
The 58-member team was part of the 187 Indian nationals successfully
repatriated by Special Air India Flight AI 1902 as part of the ‘Vande Bharat
Mission’ of the Indian government. The crew got stuck in the Arab nation while
shooting at Wadi Rum desert for the film ‘Aadujeevitham’.
“..Among the passengers was the 58-member crew of upcoming
Malayalam film ‘Aadujeevitham’ starring Indian film superstar Prithviraj
Sukumaran, and directed by National Award-winning director Blessy. The crew was
stranded due to ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown in
Jordan since March 16, 2020,” the Indian Embassy, Amman, tweeted.
“We’ve been directed to the Covid-19 testing facility upon
landing here. It’s a great relief to be back home. The Jordan-leg of the shoot
is not yet complete. I hope we can complete it once situation turns normal,” Blessy
told reporters.
The crew was directed to undergo 14-day mandatory quarantine
and have opted for a paid facility at the tourist destination Fort Kochi for
the same.
“…They (crew) will all be going to quarantine as per
regulation. It’s been a long and arduous wait but we are really thankful to
everyone including the authorities who helped facilitate this return.
Personally, we would like to thank all the fans and well-wishers who prayed for
us and gave us strength during our time of separation. Ally is thrilled her ‘daada’
is back and hopes to see him after 2 weeks,” Prithviraj’s wife Supriya Menon posted
on her Instagram account.
‘Aadujeevitham’ is based on the best-selling novel by writer
Benyamin and gives an account of a Gulf escapee in the 1990s. The second leg of
the shooting was scheduled at Jordan. The crew managed to wrap up shooting scenes
involving the lead actor and hopes to complete the rest once the lock down
eases.
So far as many as 23, 754 Indian nationals strand across the
globe have been brought back as part of the ambitious ‘Vande Bharat’ repatriation
mission. The second phase of the mission, which began on May 16 will continue
till June 13, bringing back Indians from 47 countries.
