1059 In Film Industry, Male Junior Artists and Female Junior Artists should have separate Unions distinct from Established High Priced Artists

First I must express my sincerest thanks for the relentless work being carried on by the Feminist Activists like Ms. Devi, Sandhya, Sajaya (and more others). As far as I know, they do not have any selfish motives. First time, I wrote about the self-destructive condition of the Telugu Film Industry was on 1st November 2015 i.e. about 3 years back. Click here to go to http://problemsoftelugus.blogspot.in/2015/11/591-part-1-of-film-industry-persons.html. That was about the 1941 condition of the Industry, where the Andhra Patrika writer expressed his anxiety about high rates of remuneration paid to Telugu Heros, when compared even to Hindi Heros. In these 74 years, we can easily see that things have not changed about the exorbitant fees paid to Heroes. For the benefit of my readers, I reproduce below what the 1941 Ra RAju wrote, with approx. Engl. gist by me:

తారల వేతనాలు తగ్గించాలి. (Salaries of Stars should be curtailed.)

స్టార్ సిస్టం వల్ల మనకిప్పుడంతగా ఒనగూడే లాభం లేదని పైన చెప్పే ఉన్నాను. I have already said that there will be no benefit to us with the Star System now.

తెలుగు ఫిలిమ్ పరిశ్రమలో కొందరు తారలకు హిందీ తారల కివ్వని వేతనాలు కూడ యిస్తున్నదని భ్రమ పడి ప్రొడ్యూసరులు ప్రఖ్యాత తారల కెగబడి, ఒకరిపై ఒకరు పోటీ పడి చేయటం వల్ల ఈ పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడింది. This situation has arisen because some producers, suffering from an illusion that Telugu film industry is paying high wages to Telugu Stars which Hindi film industry does not pay to Hindi stars, are standing in a crazy queque before the mega stars.

హిందీ చిత్ర పరిశ్రమతోనూ, వారికుండే మార్కెట్టుతో నూ, వారి చిత్రాల కొచ్చే ఆదాయం తోనూ పోల్చి చూస్తే తెలుగు తారలకు ఇప్పుడిచ్చే వేతనాల్లో నాలుగోవంతు కూడా యివ్వటం న్యాయం కాదు. It will not be reasonable to pay even 1/4th of the wages which we are now paying to Telugu Stars, when compared to the Hindi Film Industry, their markets, the income they get for their films.

కాబట్టి , నటీనటుల వేతనాల్లో , ఒక కనిష్ఠ ప్రమాణము, ఒక గరిష్ఠ ప్రమాణము నిర్ణయించుకొని ప్రొడ్యూసర్లందరూ ఆ పధ్ధతిని అనుసరించటం మంచిది. Hence it will be good for producers to arrive at a consensual minimum standard, maximum standard for payment of wages to stars, and follow those standards.

నెలకు రూ. 500 కంటే ఏతారకూ ఎక్కువ వేతనం ఇవ్వ పని అవసరం లేదని నా వుద్దేశం. It is my opinion that no star needs to be paid more than Rs. 500 per month.

కాంగ్రెస్ మంత్రులకు సైతం అంతకంటె ఎక్కువ జీతాలు లేవు. Even Congress Ministers, are not getting more than those wages.

ఏవిధంగా నైనా మన తెలుగ ఫిలిం పరిశ్రమ స్థిర పడి , ఎక్కువ ఆదాయం వస్తున్న తరువాత, ఈ వేతనాలు కావలిస్తే వృధ్ధి చేసుకోవచ్చు. In some manner or other, Telugu film industry has to stabilise first, raise its income. After that, we can raise the wages.

అంత వరకూ నటులైనా ఆవుపాలకు ఆశించవలెనే కానీ పొదుగుకోసి పాలు త్రాగటానికి ఆశ పడరాదు. Till then, even stars should only hope for cow's milk, and should not be tempted to cut their udders.

The 1941 Ra Raju wrote that max. Rs. 500 per month would be enough for actors and actresses. Today what are the rates of our Heroes (and a few heroines)?

Here are some Telugu Heroes who charge some millions of bucks for acting. Some of them have openly come out to "dESOddhAraka" (Uplift this country) by becoming MLAs, MPs, Ministers and Chief Ministers.

These heroes cannot pretend that they have not noticed 'Casting Couch' indulged in by film producers, directors, heroes, coordinators, their kith and kin. If they pretend, we have to treat them as blind and deaf. Did they, at any point of time, make some 'loud thinking' about the murky dealings which are foisted upon innocent needy female junior artists? Why didn't they? They have twitter and facebook addresses with hundreds of thousands or probably millions of followers. What compelled the Heroes to be blind and deaf to the happenings in the Film Industry?

Why did one Hero give a careless casual advice to Ms. Sri Reddy to go to court? Here are his Preachings.

“There is no use going to TV channels. The women should go to police stations. More than this sensationalism, there is a need to fight all such injustice in court.”

“Instead of resorting to such protests, it’s better to approach the police and narrate their problems. Let them handle it. Because how much ever we speak to the media, it is the government’s duty to do justice,”

ybrao-a-donkey's views, not intended to be imposed on others

Every Indian in India knows, how efficiently and fast our Courts function.

In the Salman Khan's deer hunting case, didn't the Trial Court take 20 years! It is a simple case. Salman Khan's Lawyers might have drageed it for 20 years.

In the case of "Shooting in Balakrishna's Residence" did anybody get punished, though there was evidence, that an attempt was made to wipe out blood on floor and erase evidence? What did the Court or the Government or the Police do when Witnesses turned hostile?

In India, "Justice in Courts" is like "picci vADi cEtilO rAyi (Stone in the hands of a Lunatic)". Justice outside Courts are administered by mafia dons, but that cannot be called "Justice".

Producers, Directors, Heroes,Coordinators, their kith and kin, who are indulging in Casting Couch and Women Trafficking, have money to engage Expensive Lawyers paying to millions as fees. Getting adjournments for some decades will be beneficial both for the Accused and the Lawyers. Ms. Sri Reddy, though she may have some money, is reported to be staying in a rented house. It is reported that the Accused Persons have brought pressure on the Landlord to evict Ms. Sri Reddy.

Now, the Politician-turned-Hero who gave a casual-careless advice to Ms. Sri Reddy, wants to boycott Media, because they have extended their Discussion Forums to Female Junior Artists to vent their sufferings. Actually, Lakhs of Telugu people would have appreciated this Hero, if he had tried to help Ms. Sri Reddy, by bringing moral pressure on the Top Producer's son to pay some monetary compensation to Ms. Sri Reddy, who is in a wrecked condition. Or the Hero should have brought moral pressure on MAA, to file a PIL against the State, for neglecting Casting Couch in Hyderabad.

Telugu people should be fortunate, that she had not turned literally mad.

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1058 What we ought not to have learnt from Hollywood, we have aped shamelessly-- Casting Couch

I greatly appreciate Ms. Sri-Reddy, actress of Telugu language Film Industry (also called Tollywood) for her courage in belling the proverbial Cat- of "Casting Couch". Hollywood is the Role Model for Bollywood, the Mumbai (Bombay) Filmy World. And Bollywood is the Role Model for the Film Industries of the Languages of Rest of India. Of course, "Casting Couch" might not have started with Harvey Weinstein. It might have started in the very first year of the Advent of the Hollywood Film Industry, and nobody might have bothered to notice it. For the 21st Century World, the allegations against Mr. Harvey Weinstein might have popularised the phrase of 'Casting Couch'. Italian model Ambra Gutierrez, seems to be the first Actress, who deserves to be credited with the courage of 'Belling the Cat'.

The linked news report of Hindustantimes we can take as the first Reaction/Response from BOllywood, consequent to the Ringing Bells in Hollywood against Mr. Harvey Weinstein. Click here to go to https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/varalaxmi-sarathkumar-to-ranveer-singh-10-shocking-celebrity-casting-couch-stories/story-dmAeFdbUgXThV1ydgL33LJ.html.

This HindusthanTimes news report, narrated the experiences of ten Bollywood Actors and Actresses who have been offered and narrowly escaped the sufferings of Casting Couch, or gone through the sufferings.

One particular paragraph from this News Report is worth quoting, and examining:--

...
10. Preeti Jain In July 2004, struggling actor Preeti Jain lodged a complaint against director Madhur Bhandarkar. Jain alleged that Bhandarkar had raped her 16 times between 1999 and 2004, under the pretext of marrying her and casting her in his films. The Supreme Court in 2012 quashed the rape case filed against Bhandarkar by the starlet eight years ago. Follow @htshowbiz for more. Link for the htshowbiz: Click here to go to https://twitter.com/htshowbiz

Present Context: Mr. Pavan Kalyan, Telugu film Hero, and Active Politician, advising Ms. ShriReddy the Actress who belled the Cat of Casting Couch, in Telugu Film Industry, TO GO TO COURT, INSTEAD OF GOING TO TV CHANNELS.

Link to what Mr. Pavan Kalyan is reported to have said. Click here to go to https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/dont-protest-on-streets-go-to-the-police-pawan-kalyan-tells-sri-reddy-activists-slam-the-actor-politicians-hypocrisy/articleshow/63773062.cms.

“Evaraina thappu cheste, TV deggariki osthe laabham ledu, court lo case eskomani cheppandi. Ee sensationalism kanna, evairaithe vallaki anyayam chesaro, vallaki court lo, police station lo, chattalunnayi... case veyyamani cheppadi... appudukuda jaraganappudu alantivi chesthe betterga untadi ani nenu bhavisthunanu,” said PK.

(If anybody has been exploited, there is no point in going to TV channels. Insted let them file a case in the courts. Instead of seeking to sensationalise (referring to the nude protest) the issue, they must approach the police and the court of law.)

ybrao-a-donkey's personal views, which are not intended to be imposed on others

As an individual Indian Citizen, Mr. Pavan Kalyan has a right to express his own Opinions and views, under the Fundamental Right of Freedom of Expression. But, we should not forget that he is not just an individual citizen entitled to his right of Freedom of Expression, but also HE IS A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE TELUGU FILM INDUSTRY CHARGING MILLIONS AND CRORES FOR A ROLE IN FILM, WHICH INVOLVES WORK OF A FEW MONTHS. Very often, 80% of cost of production of a Telugu film, probably Bollywood Film, and even Hollywood film, happen to be the Fat Remuneration of Millions and Crores paid to the Film Heros, and Directors. Their Remuneration is disproportionately high. 80% of the Indian Films and probably Hollywood Films tend to be filth and trash, because the Producers and Distributors have to recover back their moolah. Yet, 80% of the films fail at Box Office. Thus almost all our Heros, and some of Directors are becoming the cause for production of Shit in films and Beneficiaries of Shit in films, while millions and crores of common people are robbed of their hard-earned money through daily-wages or sweat-shop occupations.

I am tempted to use abusive words such as 'shit', 'filth', and 'pigs' to depict the greed of our producers, directors, and Heros. But I shall not use them any more. Reason: I do not want to insult pigs or filth. Indian street pigs do a Great Service of Scavengers of our Streets in Slums, though the pigs also be serving as a medium for spread of vector mosquito born diseases like meningitis, dengue, and chikungunya.

This subject of Casting Couch and 'demand for commitment (another word for demanding surrender to the lude desires of Producers/Directors/Heros/Powers-that-be who dish out roles to Female Character Artists) is a 1000 page subject, requiring 100 blog posts of 10 pages each. Yet, this will have to be handled with perseverance and diligence.

Question: Mr. Pavan Kalyan took nearly one month to express his lop-sided view. You too seem to be neglecting this perilous and pressing problem of Indian Film Industry. Even now, you seem to be writing too little and too late.

Ans: I have initially thought that all these happenings are gyrations, convolutions of the bourgeoisie socio-economics (in my mother tongue Telugu language bUrjuvA vikArAlu బూర్జువా వికారాలు). Bourgeoisie Spasms can be cured only by replacing the bourgeoisie Economies and Societies with Truly Proletarian Marxist/Socialist/Communist Democratic Economies and Societies. Once the Capitalist Economies and Societies get replaced with Working Class Economies and Societies, where inequalities are not allowed to sprout, grow, exist, exploit, reproduce, and never die. Members of Working Classes will have to be very alert and act well-in-time, lest Inequalities arise and penetrate even into Truly Socialist Societies. Vigilance and United Action are the Prices to be paid by Working Class for their Resurrection to Equality.

Question: Don't you view MAA (Movie Artists Association) as a Working Class Organisation?

First, for the benefit of the Non-Telugu Readers all over India, and the World, who do not know anything about MAA, I shall give a link to their 'About-Page': Click here to go to http://www.maastars.com/about-maa/. I also quote below the first few paragraphs from their About Page, to get started:

Movie Artists’ Association was formed on 04-10-1993 with Padmabhushan, Dr. Chiranjeevi as its Founder President and Padma Bhushan Dr.Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Chief Advisor. The term of the office is fixed at 2 years. The Other Office bearers were Sri Gummadi Venkateswara Rao and Sri M.Prabhakara Reddy as Vice President’s, Sri M. Murali Mohan as Secretary, Sri M. Balaiah and Sri K.J.Saradhi as Joint Secretary’s and Sri M.Mohan Babu as Treasurer took charge of the office.

The Presidential post was held by stalwarts like Superstar Krishna, Sri Nagarjuna, Sri Mohan Babu, Sri Naga Babu and the post of General Secretary by Sri A.V.S, Late P.K.Mallikarjuna Rao, Sri Ahuthi Prasad A.J.V. etc., Since then many stalwarts of the Telugu Film Industry have contributed their mite to the betterment of MAA in various ways.

The Association has started with about 50 Artists’ as its members and now swelled to about 700 members, which clearly shows their confidence in the Association.

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