The biggest concern in Bollywood today is the condition of people working behind the camera, said BN Tiwari, President of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees.
Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said that
many workers are facing a tough time because of less work, delayed payments and long working hours. He said the rise of OTT platforms and vertical films has changed the way work is being done in the industry.
Talking about the problem, Tiwari said, ‘Actually, there are a lot of things. A lot of OTT platforms have opened up. Vertical films have started to be made. There is no meaning of quality in that. Everyone is looking for more output.’
Tiwari said the biggest impact is being faced by people who work behind the camera, including spot boys, light men, art directors and small artists. He said many of them are not getting proper payment even after working for long hours.
Speaking about their struggle, he said, ‘The biggest loss is the daily wages of the worker. There are spot boys, light men, art directors, and small artists.’
He also said that workers are being made to work for 20 hours, while even their basic eight-hour payment is not being cleared in many cases.
Tiwari said, ‘They are not even getting the 8-hour payment. And they are being made to work for 20-20 hours. 50-60% cut-off.’
He further said that many workers are forced to accept less money because they need work and have to feed their families.
‘A man needs work, he needs food. People have come in and out of the house. So they have to compromise,’ he said.
Tiwari also spoke about payment delays in OTT and digital projects. He said that sometimes payments come after months, and by then, the company or producer becomes difficult to trace.
Talking about the future of the industry, he warned that if things do not improve, the situation may become worse.
‘If it continues like this, the film industry will shut down one day, people will come on the road, and the situation is still not right,’ he said.
Tiwari said the federation is trying to reach workers, understand their problems and help them get justice.
