From dance hunts to comedy sketches, reality shows have begun airing on television again. But where the artistes maintain social distancing and follow safety measures on the set, it is a different story on camera as the shows' writing demands physical proximity between actors. Do artistes feel safe shooting with no masks and zero distancing on stage at a time when the city is recording 1,000 cases in a day?

In a recent episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, the host was seen backslapping actor-guest Sonu Sood, with the latter even dancing with comedian Krushna Abhishek in a segment. While Sharma and Sood remained unavailable for comment, Archana Puran Singh, who is part of the show, says that she battled her share of apprehension when she resumed work. "Even though the producers are following the SOPs [standard operating procedures], I have created a [glass] barrier between the stage and me. That way, if a guest gets carried away, there's little scope for him/her to reach me. Fortunately, I sit at a distance [from the stage]. So, I am isolated from the cast and crew," says Singh.