Chennai: The nationwide lockdown to fight corona spread has stalled every business. Film industry is no exception.
A global pandemic, Covid-19, has led to closure of theatres, shootings cancelled and releases of movies halted across all languages.
With future looking uncertain and release schedule getting affected, a majority of producers have voiced for pay-cut for actors in Tamil cinema.
A veteran producer, who gave many hits a few years ago, says, “When every other sector is ready with pink slips or pay-cuts for their employees to fight recession, actors are no exception”.
“In case of a movie starring a big hero today, 40 to 50 per cent of the venture’s budget goes to him as his salary. Then come production and marketing costs. Unlike a couple of decades ago, to make profit or at least break even is near to impossible,” he adds.
“When such is the scenario, this Covid-19 has turned things upside down. Foreign markets for our movies are gone at least temporarily. Also if things improve, adjoining States like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka will have to allot screens for direct releases in their respective languages that will queue up in large numbers. With major markets cut, obviously we have to rethink on paying such huge salaries for them”.
Elaborating the same, Sundaram, an industry tracker, says, “Big films like Indian 2 are on the floor. Now they have to give a revised budget. It would be a viable project only if all involved in it including its hero and director agree to cut their pay”.
“The legal contracts made with actors for movies that are in various stages of production can be reworked. Reality is that only if there is salary revision, the project will end up burning very little hole in the pockets of producers”.
The entire business process in film industry will go for an overhaul, he adds. However, veteran journalist J Bismi differs. “I vouch not a single penny of their salary would come down. Citing a lull in foreign market as reason for their salary reduction sounds flat. If no direct releases happen abroad, producers make money from digital market. No theatres there for now means a direct release in digital platform which may command a big price”.
Also the producers who bargain with mid-level stars on fixing salaries for their projects voluntarily agree to pay what a ‘big star’ demands. That is, a rat race on between producers to get call-sheets of big stars. In such scenario, why a ‘mass’ hero should reduce his salary?’
It is a complex and unique situation. A final decision on it can be arrived only if representatives from all trade bodies in Kollywood sit together and take a call on reducing salary of stars, says producer Suresh Kamakshi.