Nadigar Sangam plans wholesale changes to industry

Days after the end of the 48-day industry shutdown, the members of the South Indian Artistes' Association (Nadigar Sangam) met to discuss ways of bringing down the production cost of films. Industry insiders say that at least part of the discussion was addressed at figuring ways to get actors reducing their salaries, according to the budget of the film.

A source in the know revealed that the following issues were discussed in the meeting:

1. The assistants, costume-designers, and hairstylists to be paid as per the regulations set by Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI)

2. When actors participate in award shows/star nights, the respective organisations to make a donation to Nadigar Sangam

3. With computerisation of ticketing made mandatory across the industry from June1, all actors to be furnished with comprehensive reports of their films' box-office collections. With time, the Nadigar Sangam hopes that the actors will adjust their remunerations according to their market value. 

4. Artistes not to attend shoot without proper documentation. The agreement on paper should be furnished to the Nadigar Sangam, which will, in turn, forward it to the Producers Council

5. Actors encouraged to avoid business class while taking flights to shoot locations.

Nasser, President of the Nadigar Sangam, explained that the gathering was an 'internal affair', in which the members discussed about ways to make the industry better. "Probably for the first time in the history of the association, artistes voiced out their grievances from the bottom of their hearts. Quite some internal issues regarding bringing down the production costs were discussed. By ensuring complete transparency all around, we plan to bring in some new changes to the system. We hope that everyone involved will help us in this endeavour," he said.