Daily Wagers Have No Information About Producers Guild Relief Funds
Like all the other sectors, entertainment sector is facing shut-down due to Corona Pandemic. All productions, shooting, brand shooting, Television shows were shut down till 31st March.
This decision has caused many to lose livelihood overnight, and curb the situation the Producers Guild of India announced that it would set up a relief fund for Industry workers affected by the shutdown caused by coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately the information about this arrangement hasn’t reached the daily wagers.
We spoke to Amit Kumar, a DOP assistant, about relief funds, he stated, “There has been no information about funds, neither anyone has told us. See you have to understand, bigger names will get the funds and information, we are daily wagers, and we don’t get anything. People with higher posts, salary and payment influx will get the benefits, wagers like me, will have to do make do with my savings.”
Corona virus hasn’t effect livelihood as such as yet, but in long run it will have some serious adverse effects on the lives of people in entertainment sector, especially daily wagers, such as light man, assistant, dancer, artists and more.
Amit said, “See you have to understand that most people, technicians, don’t save for bad day. I mean everyone, from light man, carters, common person, artist, no one save for rainy day. The moment they get paid, it is all gone on basic requirements, now the situation so bad that one couldn’t ask another colleague for money, as everyone is sailing in the same boat. No one has money, and whoever has it, needs it. Survival of technicians and artists is in dire state”
“The shut down has some serious bad effects; it’s been seven days since everything has shut down. I was doing Abhay Season 2, and plus I was doing movie Nikkamma, but everything has been stopped due to Corona Virus. I was supposed to get paid for Abhay Season 2, but the payment is stuck. I am surviving on my savings, and I don’t know how long this will last” added Amit.
Amit further added that despite the dire situation he might be facing, he is determined to adhere to all restrictions, posed by officials and government. He added, “Trust me, I will follow all the rules of my government, I have responsibility towards myself, my family and my society, with or without funds. I will help stop this corona spread”
This could be an isolated case and indeed people have heard about the funds and senior officials are prepared to help the daily wagers in entertainment, but we spoke of some more technicians and artists, they also confirmed the same.