Pritam starts vaccination drive for musicians, reveals many still uncomfortable about getting the jab

With the second wave of Covid-19 crisis slowing down, the focus is on mass vaccination to be able to resume work without looming fear of the virus. And stepping up for the music industry, composer Pritam Chakraborty recently initiated a vaccination drive for the people associated with it.

“I want the music industry to be back on foot. I want the [spot] boys, all the recordists and engineers to get vaccinated, so the music and live industry can be back and work can start without fear,” Pritam tells us, adding, “If everybody takes care of their own industry, the pressure on the government and municipal bodies can be reduced and they can focus on other groups of people for vaccination drives.”

For Pritam, 50, who broke into Bollywood’s music scene as a solo music director with Dhoom (2004), it’s not about “standing up for the music industry”, but showing compassion towards people who’re the driving force of the industry.

“Vaccination is the only way to put things back on track. So, best is if we all take care of our own people as much as we can and only then more people will get the vaccine soon,” he insists.

However, after the first round of recce, he found out that a lot of musicians aren’t very comfortable with getting the vaccine.

“First, were talking to them and getting the vaccine hesitancy out. That little push is needed. A lot of time there’s mild vaccine hesitancy, while many of them are afraid to go to the hospital or to the center to take the jab,” says The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil; 2016) hitmaker, who is working towards erasing this hesitation, and getting a lot of people to register.

“This drive is for anyone involved in a minutest process of music making and live shows, and their immediate family members. And the drive will go on long as it is needed,” he ends.