Arclights Dim In Chennai As Film Technicians Go On Strike

The arclights have dimmed in Chennai. The cameras are no longer rolling. And all the action of reel life has shifted to real life as a strike scripted by the Film Employees Federation of South India (Fefsi) has brought the activities of the film industry to a grinding halt.

The Chennywood confrontation has all the ingredients of a typical potboiler: drama, desperation, dissension, pathos and politics. According to the federation, the villain of the piece is the Tamil Film Producers Council. The producers planned to initiate a cost-cutting exercise, which would involve both technicians and artists. But first, they would wrap up all their current production work by August 1, 1997.

 

However, the climax planned by the producers was pre-empted by the federations decision to strike.

In turn, the producers plead mitigating circumstances, arguing that the skyrocketing wages of technicians and artists are making the industry unviable. Almost 90 per cent of the movies made since January 1997 have not recovered costs. If this situation is allowed to continue, it will sound the death-knell of the industry, says G Venkateswaran, a leading city-based producer and the man behind such mega-hits as Bombay and Roja.

Badly bitten distributors are now running shy of buying movies at the prevailing exorbitant prices. Particularly after the Mani Rathnam directed mega-starrer Iruvar which was considered a certain bet unexpectedly bit the dust.

The resulting cash crunch has forced producers to insist that productions costs must be immediately brought down by at least 40 per cent if the industry is to survive.

The situation is so bad that the cut will have to come into immediate effect. There is no room for a gradual rolling back of the wage bill, asserts Venkateswaran.

Unlike its more pampered and undisciplined counterpart in Mumbai, the Chennai film industry already works on an extremely tight schedule.

Hence, there is no scope to cut down on the time taken to make films, says Venkateswaran. This leaves a cut in wages as the only alternative if costs are to be reduced.

Not surprisingly, the technicians are unmoved by the producers plight. And with both sides digging in their heels, the fate of almost 15 films hangs in the balance.

Losses as a result of the strike are estimated at approximately Rs 1.5 crore every day, with interest costs varying for each producer.

The strike has assumed significant dimensions because of the extremely close links of the industry with major political players (AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha is a former actress, while current Chief Minister M Karunanidhi first shot to fame as a script writer). If that was not enough incentive for the Chief Minister to intervene, he also has strong monetary motivation: if cinema halls shut down, the government will lose revenue that would otherwise accrue from the 40 per cent entertainment tax.

A concerned Karunanidhi yesterday decided to ride in to rescue the industry. And convened a meeting, which was held late yesterday, obviously hoping that his benevolent mediation would persuade the antagonists to kiss and make up. Fefsi president S Vijayan too was optimistic that a solution would emerge at this meeting.

Did the meeting result in a happy ending? Or did the fissures within the film family widen? Will the strike end with a temporary patch-up, only to see an even more dramatic sequel being staged?.

Watch this space to find out. And remember, you read it here first.