1 / 5The Hindi film industry that operates primarily from Mumbai is bleeding yet again. Just as people began returning to theatres, Maharashtra, earlier this month, disallowed the shooting of films and television serials till April 30. Several films, including big names, have postponed their release, some for the second time. Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar, which was set to release on April 30, has been postponed indefinitely. Others such as Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi-starrer Chehre, Bunty Aur Babli 2, Haathi mere Saathi, Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Thalaivi’ have also been postponed. The industry is now at a standstill due to the rising cases in the state and as a result, it is not only losing hundreds of crores every day but the availability of fresh content is also impacted.
2 / 5Nitin Tej Ahuja, CEO of Producers Guild of India, says that the impact on the industry is severe and adverse. Resumption of shooting post the lockdown last year came with added costs to the industry due to the stringent COVID protocols that needed to be followed on every set. According to Ahuja, the extent disruption is a lot more than in a conventional industry because film making is a very personalised business and to resume shooting dates of actors, locations involved need to be available as well. “For films that are ready, there is a cost involved, there is money invested, and if it’s a commercial contract, you’re paying interest on it. The worst part is that there is no clarity on when things will open up and it will take a lot of time again for people to come back to theatres without fear,” Ahuja says. Ahuja points out this could also have repercussions post the lockdown. “There will be a whole pile-up of movies waiting to be released, some from last year, some that got ready in last 5-6 months and there are only limited number of screens and only so many weekends that they can be released in.”
3 / 5The availability of fresh content is the larger problem for the television industry running daily shows. According to industry players, there are over 125 shows happening every day across channels, most of which stand impacted. “Not televising new episodes would mean channels don’t generate revenue and if they don’t generate revenue, they don’t pay producers. It’s a vicious cycle,” an industry insider said. Several producers have moved their shows outside the state, but this increases costs. JD Majethia, Chairman of the Indian Film and TV Producers Council, says there is a cost of around Rs 6-10 lakh on average per episode. But outdoor shoots are a lot more expensive. “When we go outside for shoot apart from recreating sets, there is additional costs of food and accommodation. It also comes with challenges, scripts need to be modified. So, when there are challenges, you are bound to spend more to meet requirements because you just want to deliver the episode in time,” he adds.
4 / 5With shoots stalled, most of those employed in the film and TV industry are also out of work. BN Tiwari, president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which represents over 5 lakh workers, says that most of the production crew is returning to their hometowns as they feel there is no job security. Payments of most of the crew and workers – usually made in a 2–4-month cycle -- are also stuck, especially with all offices forced to remain shut. Tiwari says that the industry received support last year from many in the film fraternity such as Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Rohit Shetty, Boney Kapoor’s family, Varun Dhawan, and from producers, etc. However, this year, they haven’t sought help yet, he adds. However, this year Nitin Tej Ahuja of the Producers Guild of India says the ability of producers to fund or help has also been curtailed, as compared to last year. “There is a large number of people who depend on a set to go to make money. Last year a lot of fraternity, production houses came forward and supported them since there was no government support for the film industry. But this year, we have to see how to address the situation. The producer’s ability to fund is finite because they also have a lot of money invested in films with no visibility on when they will release and costs are also piling up. It’s a very grim situation all over,” he adds.
5 / 5The industry is now in talks with the Maharashtra government for permission to shoot in bio bubbles following all COVID protocols for safety. JD Majethia, Chairman of the Indian Film and TV Producers Council says that while the industry supports the government to curtail the spread of COVID, they want the govt to treat the entertainment industry as an essential service, especially with people staying at home looking for fresh content. “The lockdown can continue but we’re saying we will create a bio bubble and shoot in that. We will keep all the staff, technicians and workers on set and in nearby hotels and only 5-10% of actors will travel in their private vehicles. We’re experimenting with such models outside Maharashtra to show the state that is possible to shoot safely under a controlled environment” he adds. FWICE also wants the government to allow pending shoots to be completed so that thousands of workers will get work and make a livelihood.
