Let me tell you the story of Kuldeep Vishwakarma. Kuldeep is a spot boy with a film production firm in Mumbai. Kuldeep says he doesn’t want the vacation, nor can he afford that.
He started working for a web series a few days ago. As like other companies and production firms, his recruiter also shut the work as per the guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. His words say that production suspended by film industry bodies until March 31, and now his savings are slowly disappearing.
“I am surviving on whatever I have earned so far, but I can’t manage for much longer,” Vishwakarma told Scroll.in. “If I don’t get work by the end of the month, I will be in deep trouble”. A freelancer who bounces from one project to another and gets paid when the day’s work is done, Vishwakarma carries six family members.
“I have been working as a spot boy for 10 years, and it’s the only job I have,” he said. “I have never experienced anything like this in all the years I have been working.”
The glamour industry has been never shaken this much by a disaster, riot or terrorist attack so far. The shootings are stopped, releases delayed, multiplex closed, and thousands of their workers can be professionally described as “life without pay”.
A good initiative by the Producers Guild Of India
Taking a step further, the producers guild of India has been decided to release a relief fund for daily wage workers. They announced-
“We would encourage the entire fraternity to contribute to the Fund. To ensure that we can do all we can to minimise the disruption in the lives of our valued colleagues and associates in this difficult time,”
Siddharth Roy Kapur, the Guild’s president
“For instance, if there is a 60-day production schedule, and only 15 days have been completed, the fund will pay for the 45 days that the daily wage workers have not been paid for,”
Kulmeet Makkar, the Guild’s Chief Executive Officer
Meanwhile, every individual needs to take responsibility for being safe. Stay updated for the guidelines of WHO and also help the others to be aware of updates.
A big thanks to Scroll.in
Also read: Baba Sehgal Raps On Beating Coronavirus After Gaumutra Party & Corona-Bhajan
