The concept of the Hema committee report has brought out a lot of noise and voices like allegations, expectations of the just, and formation of collectives, hence becoming sensational. This ‘phenomenon’ is now a reason for the Malayalam movie producer’s community or the Kerala Film Producers Association (K.F.P.A) to announce a novel mandate that can ensure accountability and transparency in the film production business.
The directive says that from the 1st of October onwards, all those who work in the industry must acquire remuneration contracts in place if the payment exceeds one lakh in rupees. The following code was issued to the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A) and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (F.E.F.K.A) respectively.
Subsequently, such contracts have to be made on stamp paper even before any work commences, and would have specific clauses referring to sexual harassment and drug addiction among others as these were significant concerns revealed through the Hema Committee report. Also, the Producers’ Association has clearly shown that it would not interfere in disputes or charges that do not fall under the scope of such contracts.
As a result, the code could govern everyone involved in film production, whether as actors, technicians, or members of the crew. The new code is thereby an important step toward establishing and professionalizing this industry’s practices.
Furthermore, taking into consideration what the committee report has mentioned about factors like failure of written contacts, gender-based disparity, and late remuneration, this can aid in reducing the growing trend of actor-producers being sued for tax evasion, and their increasing potential in financing film ventures can result in a much more complicated business environment for traditional producers.