The Tamil television serial industry today suspended shoots for mega soaps, protesting against TV serials dubbed from Hindi and Korean languages which they claimed has hit them badly.
Following the alleged suicide of popular Tamil TV serial director Balaji Yadav, the Federation of Small Screen Technicians, Tamil Nadu (FESST) staged a demonstration today by suspending shoots for Tamil serials.
The director of several serials allegedly committed suicide owing to debt and non-availability of work.
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"We have presented a memorandum to Tamil television channels that air mega serials dubbed from Hindi and Korean languages to air Tamil serials and give work for us," FESST president Kavitha Bharathy told PTI.
"About 20,000 persons are dependent on the Tamil television serial industry for work. If TV channels dub serials produced in Hindi or other languages, we will have absolutely no work," he said.
A wide category or workers, including writers, directors, assistant directors, actors and lightmen, are dependent on the Tamil TV serial industry for work, Bharathy added.
Approximately 60 per cent of serials aired in Tamil TV channels today are dubbed from Hindi. A TV channel is airing serials dubbed from Korean language as well, he said.
"This trend of dubbed serials getting in Tamil TV industry is gathering momentum and this is being done to cut production costs, which is hitting us badly."
The association would contemplate future "legal, democratic," course of action if their request was not heeded, he said.
