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Coronavirus: Film sets write a recipe for disaster
With shoots being put on hold, caterers and extras on sets speak of the uncertainties owing to the pandemic
Extras on film sets are often categorised as unskilled and put to use when there’s a dearth of active hands. Since an urgent need cannot always be predicted on a set, such workers need to dawdle around and can’t sign up for odd jobs on the side. Sustaining in a big city on meagre means, where do they go in this unprecedented situation of a lockdown? “On a shoot, I have never had to worry about food. Meals were provided two to three times a day depending upon the time spent at work. I am a daily wage earner. With productions on hold, food is a constant worry,” says 33-year-old Sunil Bind.
Bind, a resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, is a father of two young daughters. “The pay is a decent sum of ₹750 per shift. The morning shift extends from 9am to 1pm. I could save money and send it back home, as my meals were taken care of. But ever since work came to a halt, it has been difficult,” he adds. Bind was stuck in Mumbai before he decided to return to his home town. “I had to spend nearly ₹200 on food every day. I was dipping into my savings and had no opportunity to earn. Here, at home, I own a small piece of land and our basic needs can be fulfilled,” he shares. Bind, however, is worried about the near future that looks bleak on the job front, even when the curfew is lifted. Quite similar to Bind’s fix, Uday Shah, a 27-year-old carpenter refers to the pandemic as a ‘double-edged sword’. “News channels push for home quarantine, but no work means no pay. What do we eat if we don’t go out looking for work?” he asks in exasperation.
Accumulating worries
The virus is strictly against discrimination and has not spared the ‘better-offs’ among contributors on a set. Catering businesses, that deliver food to film sets, are bleeding losses. The owners do not see chances of recovery any time soon. “We have cleared dues and sent workers back home. The business is on hold now. Although we are losing a great deal of money, the safety of human lives is our concern for now,” says Ranjeet K, manager, Vashisht Caterers. Ranjeet’s clientele consists of production houses dealing in advertisements. He adds that the company will be incurring a monthly loss of nearly ₹4,00,000. But given the health exigency, they stand by the “Stay Home Stay Safe” policy. Bishu Biswas runs Comfort Caterers in Bandra East and boasts of serving food to some of the leading production agencies in town. “Our numbers had hit a low even before the curfew was imposed. Earlier, orders were placed for at least 200 to 300 people daily. Now, it is nil.” He elaborates on how lack of work doesn’t exempt proprietors of maintenance cost. “I have to pay my cooks and will need to foot utility bills for the establishment. I spend over a lakh on that,” Biswas shares. Vikas Lal, another caterer, who is a known name in the same field, expresses his apprehension about the coming days. “Money will be lost, we can’t avoid it. I am worried about the months to come. If work doesn’t resume, I can’t keep paying my workers. For now, I have enough to support them for these 21 days,” he concludes.
