At open forum, junior artists object to agents' cut

New Indian Express

19 hours ago

Junior artists are often arranged by coordinators through such agents, Hari said 'We are often allotted up to Rs 1,500, but end up getting just Rs 500-600,' he said. 'We have our disagreements with the initial policy framework forwarded by the government, which empowers these agents,' MAAK president Shaijunath P said.
The plight of female junior artists is even more pathetic, said Shobhana Sundaran, an artist from Thrissur. 'For female artists, a clean toilet is more important than food, which is not available on many sets,' she said. Adding that many continue to work as junior artists despite challenges due to lack of other work opportunities, she said that though they are often hired by trustworthy people, the situation, more often than not, ends up going south.
'While shooting of L2: Empuraan, we were left stranded at midnight without proper accommodation. It was arranged after several hours,' she said. The film policy, which the government is looking to roll out within two months, is expected to address their issues as well.
Meanwhile, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA)officials refuted the claims. 'We provide food on film sets based solely on head count, without any discrimination,' FEFKA Production Executives' Union joint secretary Shaji Pattikkara told TNIE, adding that it is impractical not to assign agents for access to junior artists.