The non-payment issue in the Bengali TV industry is rearing its ugly head every two days even after production houses and channels’ repeated assurances that stalled serial shoots have resumed. On Tuesday, the suppliers again stopped providing costumes due to hollow verbal assurances. As a result, the shooting for
Subrata Roy’s Karunamoyee
Rani Rashmoni
in
Indrapuri studio
and Debi Choudhurani in
Dasani
2 was stalled.
“Subrata Roy has been assuring us since June 19, but he hasn’t kept a single promise. He had even sent an email to us. Since we didn’t have any other option left, we had to stall the shootings again. The channels had intervened a few days ago and wanted to pay us a portion of the money without GST for the serials that are still running. The dates have already passed but our payments are still due,” rued Jakir Hossen Mollick, who is the costume supplier for serials like Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni, Debi Choudhurani, Manasa and Bhanumatir Khel, among others.
It looks like no amount of assurances is proving enough to bring the deadlock between suppliers and production houses/channels to an end. “First, the channels will have to pay us 99% of our dues. They can ask Subrata Roy for the details. Who will look after the payments for the serials that are no longer running but for which we still haven’t been paid? Will the channels take charge? Second, we no longer trust Subrata Roy. His cheques have bounced though we were still hopeful that he would clear our dues. We asked him to keep a late call time on Tuesday so that once the amount gets transferred to our accounts, we can begin shoot. But he didn’t listen to us. Now, we will only resume supplying costumes once we get our dues,” added Jakir.
When contacted, a representative from a channel said that Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni’s shooting is on at an outdoor location. However, he couldn’t share the exact details of the venue with us.
Start a Conversation
Post comment