Mumbai, Nov 3 (IANS): Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is busy shooting his next film in hometown Chandigarh, is not staying with his family. Rather, he has checked into a hotel.

Ayushmann, who is shooting for Abhishek Kapoor's "Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui", co-starring Vaani Kapoor, in his hometown, cites the Covid pandemic as the reason for his decision.

"I have been extremely cautious through the pandemic and taken every possible step not to catch the virus and protect my family. My wife and my two young kids can never come in harm's way because of me," Ayushmann said.

He added: "With me starting to work, our parents in Chandigarh too should be safe at all times. I want to contribute to restart the industry but I also want to safeguard my family from the virus."

The actor along with the entire production team has checked into a hotel.

"We are all staying there till the end of the shoot. Whenever I go to meet my family now, we are maintaining social distance and also wearing masks. It feels odd but it is an important security step," Ayushmann said.

The actor admits that he is missing spending time with his family.

"I'm also getting tested at regular intervals through the shoot. Staying at a hotel helps protect my family as well as the crew members, because we have all tried to create a bio-bubble. Once the shoot is complete, I will catch up on lost time with my family," he said.

Ayushmann credits Abhishek Kapoor and his wife, besides the production crew's supervision for keeping the virus at bay on the sets.