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Film industry workers in doldrums

M D Riti in Bangalore

"I think I have really committed a sin in being so thoughtless," said Dr Rajakumar in his latest video cassette, sitting in a light shower of rain in Satyamangalam forest.

"I should have addressed the Kannada film industry in my very first message. Until Rajnikant (Tamil super star) told me, I did not know that the film industry in Karnataka had stopped working, pending my release. I want to tell you that you must start work again immediately. If you do not, it will be like treachery against me."

"Annavru always thinks of us first, and himself last," said character actor Ashok, head of the Karnataka Film Employees' Federation, rather emotionally, as he supervised the distribution of foodgrains to over 1000 daily wage earners on Friday.

"Several years ago, he was assaulted when he was shooting in Ooty. The Kannada film industry wanted to go on strike in protest. However, he prevented us from doing so. This time, we refuse to budge. We will not work until he comes back."

Dr Rajakumar and his sons enjoy a reputation of being friendly with unit hands, technicians and directors alike.

"My father has told us that we must always be friendly with the unit hands as theirs is a thankless job though very important to the film," says Shivaraj Kumar, the eldest son, to rediff.com.

Now, these same technicians and daily wage earners seem the most willing to stand by Dr Rajakumar's family and wait for their beloved Annavru's return.

"Many of us have worked with Annavru for almost half a century," says Shivaram Uppanda, president of the Production Boys' Association. "He always used to come and sit with us, share his meal with us when we were on location. We now feel that we must stand by him."

Adds Sharavanappa, president of the Light Boys' Association, "It is a struggle for us to survive without work for so many days as many of our people are on daily wages. But we are all willing to rough it out."

The loss to the Kannada film industry, since it stopped working 25 days ago, has been estimated at about Rs 50 million a day.

Dr Rajakumar has urged the industry to resume work at once. "You should all not suffer like this because of me," he said, smiling bravely into the camera like the consummate actor that he is. "Nor should my abhimani devaru (fan Gods)."

As soon as his message was telecast on Thursday evening, some theatre owners and distributors began preparations to screen some Hindi films and Kannada films waiting to be released. The majority, however, waited for word from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which has been spearheading the industry shutdown and the temporary ban on Tamil television channels.

The chamber decided to continue with the shutdown. Those not in agreement were reportedly threatened, not by the chamber, but by some film industry workers, forcing them to down shutters hastily.

Everyone in the industry, starting from the producers and distributors to the daily wage earners, has been hit badly by the shutdown. Only a handful remain unaffected.

Some film industry insiders point out that while love for Annavru might be the main motivator, there are other factors that come into play too. Like the Rajakumar family's involvement in every aspect of the film industry.

While Dr Rajakumar has taken a backseat as an actor over the past few years, his family's involvement in the industry increased rapidly as his three sons became adults.

His wife, Parvathamma, heads one of the major film producers' associations of Karnataka. She dabbles in production, distribution and exhibition of films, and very successfully at that. Dr Rajakumar's comeback film Shabdavedi, produced by Parvathamma on a budget of Rs 10 million, reportedly earned Rs 100 million.

The couple's two sons - Puneet and his elder brother Raghavendra - help her out. The eldest, Shivaraj Kumar, is far too busy an actor to spare time for the family business.

Meanwhile, the daily wage earners in the industry have been reduced almost to the level of beggars by the shutdown. So the Employees' Federation, led by Ashok, decided to spend Rs 100,000 from its emergency funds to distribute foodgrains on Friday. Each member was given 10 kilograms of rice and a kilogram of pulses, sugar and edible oil. The federation has resolved to do this once a week, until work resumes.

The money comes from the membership fees collected over the years and the profits from a conference they had conducted earlier this year. Once the crisis is over, federation officials say, the members will pay back the money, a little at a time, to rebuild the emergency funds.

Over 1000 employees, belonging to 13 different associations, all of which come under the umbrella of the federation, received emergency relief rations on Friday. Every association also contributed some money to the common kitty. The food distribution will continue on Saturday.

"Thank god, my children will eat tonight," said a thin and woebegone light boy Ramu. "I only hope Annavru is faring better in the jungles than we are here...."

The Rajakumar Abduction: complete coverage
The saga of Veerappan

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