# Ajayan

KOCHI | For the empaneled documentary directors, the acknowledgment holds little solace, as it proves insufficient in securing their means of livelihood. The recognition falls short in translating into tangible support for their sustenance and professional pursuits, said a cross-section of directors Metro Vaartha spoke to.

Nationally acknowledged director KR Subhash, placed in the A category, expresses bewilderment regarding the relevance of the established panel. According to him, major projects are consistently awarded to prominent private entities operating outside the panel, a trend that has persisted for the past few years. Traditionally, the Government's Public Relations Department handled promotional activities, and directors were selected for these tasks. However, Subhash notes with lament that this practice has abruptly ceased.  

Subhash advocates for a reversal of the current dynamics, proposing that the responsibility for promotional activities be reinstated with the Public Relations Department (PRD). In his perspective, the PRD should then allocate projects to the empaneled directors. He suggests that the creative and selection panel should operate independently, free from the influence of officials and external agencies. This will restore a more equitable and artistically focused approach to the allocation of projects and recognition within the documentary filmmaking domain.

Noornad Ramachandran, also placed in the A category, points to the lacunae where A category directors are designated to receive Rs 7 lakh for half-hour programs. However, recent trends indicate that these projects are increasingly outsourced to private agencies, offering significantly higher amounts. Adding to the predicament, the timely disbursal of payments for the work undertaken has become erratic. The elimination of the advance payment system further compounds the financial challenges faced by directors.

After completing a project based on an accepted script, additional scrutiny by another panel introduces delays in receiving payments. To exacerbate matters, there are instances of cuts in the remuneration, further hindering the financial well-being of directors whose sustenance is based on their artistic work.

Viju Varma, also serving as the secretary of the loosely-knit Documentary Filmmakers Federation of Kerala (DFFK), underscores the persistent lack of response despite numerous representations to the Government. Frustrated by the inertia, the DFFK is forging ahead with its proposal to affiliate with a trade union, intending to present its case more assertively. Varma laments the tragic reality that documentary directors receive scant concern, while private agencies reap the rewards of government propaganda initiatives at exorbitant rates. The discrepancy in the allocation of resources and opportunities paints a disheartening picture for those in the documentary filmmaking community.

Chandralekha CS, another director, emphatically underscores the urgent need to halt the grave injustice being perpetrated against directors. Beyond the systemic injustice, she highlights the persistent delays in receiving payments for completed works, a factor that directly impacts the livelihoods of these filmmakers.

The call for intervention is not just a plea for justice but a recognition of the tangible impact on the lives of those dedicated to the craft of documentary filmmaking. Some of the directors alleged that government officials have their own agencies which corner most of the major projects. They point to the Centre where propaganda is undertaken by the Central Government official arm itself and initiation of personal publicity is undertaken by private agencies.

Tragically, it is private players under the LDF reign in Kerala, getting the upperhand which is going against the grain of Left principles. The exorbitant rates charged are a drain on the State coffers for the publicity campaign on different media platforms, and this is really shocking.

Tragically, private entities under the LDF rule in Kerala seem to be gaining dominance, a trend that runs counter to the foundational principles of the Left. The exorbitant rates levied by these private players for the publicity campaigns across various media platforms pose a significant drain on the state coffers, a development, coming during Left rule, that is particularly shocking.

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