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A typical working day for Michael (name changed), a lighting technician in the Malayalam film industry, begins around 5 a.m. Usually, he goes straight to the office where the equipment is stored, loads the lights needed for that day’s shoot into a vehicle with the help of his colleagues and drives to the shooting location. Work begins at 6 a.m. and goes on until 9.30 p.m. on “normal days”.
“Sometimes it can go on till 2 am, but even in such cases, the next day’s work starts at 6 am as usual, leaving us with very little time to sleep. So, when we are part of a project, we remain sleep deprived for several days,” he says.
In other industries
Even when Hema Committee Report Various issues, including those faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, have highlighted serious labour-related issues in the industry but these have not received much attention. Technicians working in various departments have confirmed that normal working hours are 15 hours or more. the hinduThis is a violation of the labor laws of the country.
The industry has already maintained long working hours to cut down on production costs. Newcomers, who do not have the power to question such practices as they feel they will lose their chances, slowly get used to it, making the system even stronger. According to a cinematographer who has worked in several film industries, most other industries have a work schedule of less than 12 hours and there is a fair payment for overtime, but here the payment is a little higher.
Entry barriers for women
“With such a hectic schedule, films often end too early. The producers pocket all the profits while the workers at the bottom suffer health problems because of irregular sleep and eating habits,” said a member of the lighting crew.
Top actors are required to be on set only for those scenes, while those working behind the scenes have to toil tirelessly for long hours, especially in building huge sets or installing complex lighting equipment. Long working hours also create a barrier for women to enter many of these departments, which is reflected in their very low presence or even absence. A costume designer said that the time spent washing and drying costumes every day also adds to their working hours.
Ministerial stance
Labour Minister V. Sivankutty said the department had not yet received any complaints about working conditions in the industry. “Only technicians in the film industry come under the purview of the Labour Department. But, we have not yet received any formal complaint about labour-related issues in the industry. If there is something the department can intervene in, we will do so,” Mr. Sivankutty said. the hindu,
Assistant directors say that the pre-production period of films, which can be anywhere from 2-5 months before the actual shoot begins, is not counted in their remuneration. They are sometimes paid ₹30,000-₹40,000 or even less for working for over eight months. Assistant directors often do a lot of work without recognition, while their working status depends on which director they are working with.
‘No written contract’
“When it comes to payments, there are more demands for ‘adjustments’,” says a still photographer who has worked on several big projects. “Most departments have no written contracts for people working there and a certain amount is promised when they call us for a project. But after the shoot, the production executives often negotiate to reduce this amount. In some projects, even getting that amount is a struggle.”
As far as junior artistes are concerned, who are at the mercy of middlemen, the Hema committee has said their condition is worse than slaves, where they are made to work for up to 19 hours a day.
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