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KOCHI |Even as the Kerala Government's grandiloquent publicity campaigns continue in full steam, documentary directors now find themselves cast aside and left in the shadows.

Since around seven years, a discernible policy shift has been evident, with the LDF Government redirecting its attention towards corporate agencies for its public relations endeavours. Documentary directors point to the genesis of this transition to 2016. After their persistent appeals and petitions decrying their sidelining, the government, at last, responded through its Public Relations Department and a panel of documentary directors was curated. Their ranks were stratified into three grades based on evaluation of applications submitted.

In the A category are luminaries who have clinched National Awards, as well as those showcased in the prestigious Indian Panorama and International Festival sections. The B category comprises State-level award winners and the C category has degree and diploma holders and those having produced at least five documentaries. There are 59 directors in the first category, 37 in the second and 79 in the third.

But refusing to go beyond that, the sidelining continues. During the 2018 floods and the Covid pandemic that followed, despite a lull in PR exercises, documentary producers got projects though far and few. But there was difficulty in getting payments in time which continues even now. One of the directors who Metro Vaartha spoke to said that when the matter of non-payment for a particular documentary was taken up later with higher ups, the official concerned burst out at the director: “Since you have complained, let me see how you are going to get your money.”

The saga of marginalization persists, unyielding in its grip. In the throes of the 2018 floods and the ensuing Covid pandemic, a temporary respite from the fervour of PR initiatives occurred. However, for documentary producers, the influx of projects was sporadic, scarce at best. The terrain of documentary producers for recognition and remuneration is adversarial. Compounding their predicament, timely receipt of payments poses a persistent challenge evne to date.

One director, on condition of anonymity, recounted a disconcerting encounter to Metro Vaartha. When the issue of non-payment for a specific documentary was raised with higher authorities, the official concerned retorted sharply at the director: "Since you have complained, let me see how you are going to get your money."

Though the remuneration allocated for these documentaries may not be substantial, directors are convinced that their creative endeavours can unveil the State's strengths. A palpable discontent arises when certain projects, such as those centered on archaeological monuments, which these directors assert could be executed for approximately Rs 10 lakh, was instead outsourced to a private agency for a few crores. When grievances regarding such disparities were raised, authorities pledged to investigate the matter. However, weeks later, the response was that the decision had been made by an expert committee, rendering the empaneled directors naturally excluded from consideration.

In the absence of a unified platform for these directors to articulate their concerns, a movement is under way to establish such a one. Sources said discussions with a Left-affiliated trade union have been gaining momentum. The imperative is clear: exerting pressure on the Left Government becomes essential to steer clear of deviations and guarantee that deserving documentary directors receive not only due recognition but also fair remuneration.