The critical labor issues highlighted in the HEMA Committee report receive scant attention
A typical working day for Michael (name changed), a lighting technician in the Malayalam film industry, usually starts at 5 am, he goes straight to the office where the equipment is stored, loads the lights required for that particular day’s shoot. With the help of his colleagues, he got into a car and headed towards the shooting location. Work starts at 6am and runs until 9.30pm on a “normal day”.
“At times, it could even go up to 2 am but, even in such cases, the next day’s work would start at 6 am as usual, leaving us with little time to sleep. So, when we are part of the project, we are often sleep-deprived day after day,” he says.
In other industries
Even the Hema Committee’s report on various issues in the Malayalam film industry, including those facing women, highlighted the industry’s serious labor-related problems, but they did not receive much attention. Usually 15 hours or more of work time, which is confirmed by technicians working in different departments HinduViolating the country’s labor laws.
The industry has maintained longer working hours than earlier to reduce production costs. The newcomers, who do not have the power to question such practices, lest they lose their opportunity, gradually become accustomed to it and make the system more permanent. According to a cinematographer who has worked in multiple film industries, most other industries have a fixed work schedule of less than 12 hours with commensurate pay for overtime, but here the pay is slightly higher.
Barriers to entry for women
“With such a backbreaking schedule, films are sometimes over in a hurry. Producers get all the profits, while workers suffer health problems due to irregular sleep and eating habits,” said a lighting crew member.
Top actors only have to be on set for their feature shots, while those who work behind the scenes, especially to build mammoth sets or set up complex lighting equipment, have to work tirelessly for hours. Extended working hours also create barriers to entry for women in many of these sectors, which is reflected in their low presence or even absence. A costume designer says that the time spent washing and drying clothes every day also adds to his working hours.
position of the minister
Labor Minister V. Shivankutty said the department has yet to receive any complaints about working conditions in the industry. “Only the technicians of the film industry are covered by the labor department. However, we have yet to receive any formal complaints regarding labor-related issues in the industry. If there is anything in which the department can intervene, we will do so,” said Mr Shivankutty Hindu.
Assistant directors say the film’s pre-production period, which can stretch from 2-5 months before actual shooting begins, does not count towards their remuneration. Sometimes they get paid ₹30,000-₹40,000 or less for a job lasting more than eight months. Depending on the manager they are working with, assistant managers sometimes end up doing a lot of unrecognized work justifying their working conditions.
‘No written contract’
Demand for ‘adjustment’ in payments is high. There is no written contract for people working in most departments, and a fixed amount is promised when they call us for a project. But after the shooting, the production officials often negotiate to reduce this amount. In some projects, even that amount is difficult to get,” says a still photographer, who has worked on several large projects.
As for junior artistes, who are at the mercy of middlemen, the Hema committee said their condition is worse than that of slaves, whose working hours are up to 19 hours.
