Sayani Gupta calls for equality in filmmaking: Every person on set must be valued

In an industry known for chaotic schedules, long shoot hours, and a culture where hierarchy often dictates punctuality, Sayani Gupta believes true progress can only come when time and labour are respected equally across the filmmaking ecosystem. She feels the widening gap between stars, actors, and crew will narrow only when every person on set is valued for their contribution rather than their stature. She explains, “Everybody works hard. Yes, acting is a taxing job if you’re doing it right, but the person carrying huge lights and travelling long distances by train is working far harder than the actors do.”

For Sayani, professionalism must be rooted in equality. She says, “Professionalism begins with respecting everyone’s time. If you have a meeting with a CEO or a big director, you make sure you are not late because of their social standing. But when the meeting is with someone considered lower in the hierarchy, people feel they can afford to be late. Punctuality should come from valuing every person equally, not from where they stand socially.”

She acknowledges that filmmaking is unpredictable and labor-intensive, and delays are inevitable. Yet, she believes better systems can ease the workday. She shares, “In my 14 years in the industry, I have been on only three or four sets where people are not racing to finish the day, usually because those are bigger budgets. Most of the time, you are working against the odds, and Murphy’s law follows you. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. It is a chaotic process. Sticking to the schedule is almost impossible, and going over it becomes the norm.”

She adds, “However, there has to be some system in place, whether it is paying overtime or ensuring that fundamentals are taken care of. Even basics like access to clean bathrooms for women, hygiene, courtesy, fair segregation within departments, and food arrangements are inconsistent. People are sometimes served different types of food based on hierarchy, and the entire system reinforces division.”

She stresses that fair treatment is central to healthy working conditions. “Everybody here works hard. It is not possible to be on a film set and not put in effort. But there should be equity in the way people are treated, whether it is pay parity, minimum wage, or working hours. A streamlined approach would help everyone,” she concludes.




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