Mumbai producer packs his bag

KOLKATA :The Centre of Indian Trade Unions does not seem to believe in West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s new mantra of a healthy work culture and an industry-friendly environment.
Mohanji Prasad, the producer from Mumbai who had come all the way to Tollywood to make a Bengali film, had a taste of CITU’s protest on Saturday when his distributor agent in the city, Shankar Dutta, CEO of Radhika Enterprises, was beaten up by members of Eastern India Motion Picture’s Representatives Association affiliated Citu for assigning duty to a person affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc).
I was hoping to produce more Bengali films but now I have to think seriously about investing here," a disgusted Prasad told TNN on Sunday. "I never thought these people would behave so roughly for such an obscure reason.Anyway, I want to pack up from here as soon my next venture, another feature film, is over."
Duties to EIMPRA members are assigned on the basis of films released in the state and the job comprises monitoring sale of tickets in entire period of screening of the film in movie halls.
Each person, authorised representative of the producer-director, handles one and is paid a sum of Rs 72 daily along with the travelling expenses.
On the basis of the details of sale of tickets in different halls, producers and distributors can calculate the turnover from a movie. For halls the districts, this becomes more important as it becomes difficult for producers and distributors to monitor sale of tickets and the performance of the film.
According to the EIMPA members, the incident was just a flashpoint and such harassments were a part of life of distributors and producers in the state.EIMPA is planning to call an indefinite strike in all movie halls across the state.
We are pressurised and often intimidated by the 400-odd members EIMPRA.They create a ruckus at any possible excuse. Or else they create troubles during the release of the film," said president of EIMPA, Ravindra Kumar Agarwal. Due to frequent harassments by Citu workers, producers and distributors from Bihar, Orissa and Assam have dissociated from EIMPA."Even north Bengal is no longer under They decided to have their own organisation as the torture was increasing," said Agarwal, adding, "many producer and directors from other states like Partho Ghosh and D. Ramnaidu have returned with bitter memories."
Prasad also said that he was taken aback by the way CITU launched attack."There is no duty hour for them, no discipline and no rules. often hear reports that they sit back and do nothing, but we can’t take any action. We even had a meeting on May 6 with Rajdeo Gowala on streamlining the system but even he has failed to assure us order,"Agarwal alleged.