The Swap Trap -
Actors feel the heat

It's probably the most dynamic of industries in the throbbing metropolis. But television in Mumbai is also a field that pulsates with the maximum insecurity, uncertainty and a morbid fear of the morrow. If a series can be called off air at a moment's notice by a broadcaster, can a production house offer any semblance of job assurance to the hundreds who contribute their mite in creating the product?

The most obvious upshot of the constant flux and churn is visible on screen - artistes who don't gel with the producers are dumped in favour of more malleable actors, the storyline takes a minor turn to cover up the discrepancy and life goes on as usual for the undemanding audience.

Behind the screen, technicians, make up artistes and hairstylists live an even more precarious life. In the unregulated television industry, work and pay is decided by market dynamics of demand and supply, and the supply of actors, junior artistes and allied service providers often exceeds demand. The result - arbitrary removals and non existent job security. Weak associations of sections of the industry help little in securing compensations and job guarantees too. Indiantelevision.com decided to talk to both sides of the fence to determine how exactly the cookie crumbles in tellyland.

Prem Kishen - in favour of disciplined actors

Says Cinevistaas chairman Prem Kishen, "Is there job security in any industry today? Let's talk about actors. These ousters/replacements happen only because the actor is indisciplined or snooty, not because he is untalented. How can the production house bear his bully/indifferent behaviour for weeks and weeks?" That's the view from the producer's side of the fence. Sometimes, however, matters are a little more obvious. When Anuj Saxena departed from Kkusum, Balaji Telefilms roped in Rohit Roy, but unceremoniously plucked him out when Saxena decided to step in again.

Rohit is understandably peeved. "I had to go abroad for a film. But the dates could have been adjusted. I understand that when Anuj left the serial, the character of Abhay was so significant that they had to bring in a replacement suddenly. But when my serial and film dates clashed, they could have handled the pressure and shot my portions a little beforehand. In this way, a nice bank of scenes and episodes would have developed, which in turn, would have released the pressure from building up at a later stage for quite some time to come. It's difficult for the viewers to accept such rapid ins and outs. The production houses need to be flexible in their ways of working."

Rohit Roy with Nausheen in Kkusum - upset at being upstaged by the original Abhay

But do actors need to work simultaneously on a number of projects? "Why not? I am an actor. I need to grow every day. TV serial makers should be able to adjust to actors' other commitments. There are some actors who are bound to some production houses, but there are many like me who cannot do it that way. We actors need to have a forum. The producers have a legal body to protect their rights, but we actors do not."

There of course is the Cine Artistes Association which takes up cudgels for television actors, but doesn't have much teeth. Gajendra Chauhan, actor and committee member of the CAA in fact concurs with the producers, "There is seldom any reason other than the behaviour of the artiste that forces the producer and the channel to withdraw him/her from a project. Besides, some artistes take up too much work, much more than they can accommodate. If you don't report for a shoot or report late on several occasions, you are certainly answerable to your seniors. Poor acting cannot be the reason, as the makers and the channel are extremely savvy to judge who they are taking. The true nature of the actor, which naturally evolves much later, is the reason why these things happen."

Kkusum with the original 'Abhay' Anuj Saxena - playing musical chairs

Roy doesn't have much faith in the association though. "I don't think the CAA has a legal standing. I am a member of the CAA. They function in a very arbitrary sort of manner. They call the parties concerned and try to settle it out of court. That is not done in quite a few cases. Like if a producer has nothing on air presently, what can an actor who has not been paid by him for a previous assignment do? Like Rahul Anand for whom I worked on the serial Tujhpe Dil Kurban has not paid me all my dues as yet. The channel (Sony) has paid him, but he has not given me the full amount which we had decided. I will now approach the court, if I want to pursue the matter further."

Argues Prem Kishen, "If you are asking about the compensation given to such actors because he/she might have rejected some work as he was stuck with that particular show where he/she is now having a problem, it depends on the personal equation between the production house and the actor. If the parting has not been hostile and the establishment is financially well-placed, the actors do get compensation. Frankly, I don't think it really matters so much if and when an actor is replaced. My serial Junoon had many such changes, yet it continued to be extremely popular till the last day. Actors don't drive the show, the content does."

"In films, yes, these midway replacements are rare," he admits. "But that's simply because filmmaking is a very expensive process. There would be several portions which would have to be re-shot at specific locations. How do you expect to do that? How do you then adjust the dates of the other stars? It's almost impossible. However, in a TV serial, the story easily continues from where a particular actor has dropped out, the chain is not broken."

Zarina Mehta - freelancing obviates the need for providing job security

Says UTV director Zarina Mehta, "There are about 80 people working on a given show. Of those, 80 per cent are doing freelance work. So where's the question of job security? You need to get better and better, every day. Besides, the TV industry is growing every day. The industry has not shrunk, it's a pretty consistent market."

Generally, whenever there is a dispute between an actor and a production house, mutual settlements happen between the two - subject to the fact that there is an agreement between the two parties that the particular actor would be involved in the project for a minimum of a certain number of episodes. Else, the complainant could approach the CAA. However, if the complainant is a non-member, the CAA cannot do anything, as the matter then would not fall outside its purview. Says Chauhan, "We would guide him to approach the Court which in turn would ask him to approach the respective association. There are 22 such respective associations, like one for hairdressers, one for make-up artistes, etc. Those 22 association together form a Federation."

Farouque Sheikh says his exit from Jeena Isika Naam Hai could have been forestalled by proper planning

On paper, there is indeed an association for every craft, but till the time the industry is governed by set rules from the very top, insecurity, it seems, will continue to shadow the artistes. What is needed is lucid agreements every time an actor signs a contract with a production house and clear cut exit clauses that don't leave the producer in the lurch either. If necessary, the channel too, can intervene to help draw up a policy that will do away with the need for unnecessary replacements and changes that wreak havoc on the story.

The changes, if any, have to come from within the industry. Till then, it continues to be a dog eat dog world.