Good article by TOI on working hours.

Amit Behl, joint secretary, CINTAA, tells us, "Most of the shows now air six days a week. We are talking to both broadcasters and producers about the need for regulated working hours for the actors. We have been able to implement the 12-hour working day in Mumbai, but we aren't able to regulate the shoots that happen outside the city.

This is the reason why we are tying up with local bodies. The actors get exhausted after working for 12 hours, but what about the production boys and other crew members who work for 19 hours? The rate of crew members falling sick on TV sets is 10 times higher than that of cinema. A movie has a release date, so there are a fixed number of days for which the actor has to work. The MoU between the producers and the association will be signed in a few days. We are getting broadcasters on board because they are also aware of the ground reality of shoots. If an actor shoots for 12 hours, the unit works for about 14-15 hours and that's not counting the travelling time."

CINTAA has suggested that producers and broadcasters create a bank of episodes before they go on air, which can serve as a back-up in the event that an actor is unable to work on a given day. "Our talks with the producers are on. We have told them that the biggest problem lies in script banking. For example, in shows like 'Sumit Sambhal Lega' or 'Daffa 420', they have a bank of 15-20 episodes ready.


When I started my career with India's first daily soap opera, Shanti, we started with a bank of 48 episodes. Because of the lack of such reserve episodes these days, actors have to work long hours. Yet there cannot be reserve episodes if the script is not final. The script should be approved by the broadcasters well in advance, so that, not only does the quality of content improve, but the actors get more time to shoot as well. The director gets to work on his shot and the actor stays fresh.

The writer also gets more time to think of the track and the creatives get more time to design the sets. Tomorrow, if there's a calamity, like an earthquake or a power cut, they will have some episodes to fall back on. We have told the GECs (General Entertainment Channels) that their market research teams need to be more proactive.

If they know whether a particular track will work or not, the writer can modify the script accordingly. Hopefully, we should have a breakthrough in this matter soon. If an actor has a blackout, who will come and shoot? We are keeping the broadcasters in the loop and all the GECs have been really receptive, including the national broadcaster," Behl adds.
Just as there are talks about the TV and film industry looking at other cities as alternate filming destinations, the CINTAA is in talks with film schools and theatre bodies from other cities to bring their actors under their umbrella. "I will be coming to the city soon for a shoot and we will also use that time to have a dialogue with people from NSD (National School of Drama) Repertory.

There is a lot of work happening in Punjab where they hire actors from Delhi. We are trying to bring all the actors under the umbrella of the CINTAA. Even the broadcasters are aware that we are trying to function this way. We want everybody to be treated equally. If tomorrow, my co-star from Delhi or Chandigarh falls ill because of the long working hours, they should have some sort of support," Behl opined.
He further revealed that they are already in talks with theatre schools from other states. "We have just started our outreach programme. Sanjay Upadhyay, the director of the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, is in talks with us. When I come to Delhi next month, I will have a dialogue with the director of the NSD, Waman Kendre. Sushant Singh (the host of Savdhaan India), who is from UP and also does a lot of filming in his state, has started a dialogue with theatre groups there.