'We Should All Have, If Not the Pie, at Least the Crumbs': Industry Technicians Talk About Equity

At a groundbreaking roundtable discussion with top Indian film industry technicians, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter India, participants shared candid thoughts on the state of pay equity and their struggles for fair compensation.

Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee remarked on the imbalance in resource allocation, saying, “Sometimes it's ridiculous. You have the biggest stars but the smallest budget for the shoot. That's appalling. Sometimes when they tell us, ‘We can't afford this equipment,’ or things like that, it needs a solid correction.”

Sound designer Resul Pookutty echoed this sentiment, highlighting how production budgets disproportionately favour star power. “In films with big stars, there’s very little budget left for the production. Sound design doesn't even figure in this whole system,” he said.

Stylist and costume designer Anaita Shroff Adajania pointed out a regression in creative freedom and trust, saying, “I feel it went backwards, actually. We had better budgets before, and there was so much more trust. There's no scope for top-level creativity anymore.”

Production designer Mayur Sharma linked the issue to corporatization. “Earlier, the decision was taken by one person. Now, you're in the corporate system. You're a service provider,” he said.

Screenwriter and editor Pooja Ladha Surti highlighted another problem: the condescending tone of contracts. “Contracts are hard to read, I'm sorry to say,” she said. “They often feel exploitative. It's a slightly aggressive and not kind way to talk to technicians.”

Colourist Sidharth Meer suggested exploring artist equity as a solution. “I think the artist equity model is something we should actually look at and see if we can implement. Everyone here at this table would agree that they wouldn't mind taking a pay cut if they got equity in the film,” he said.

Choreographer Bosco Martis agreed, adding, “If we get that kind of equity, we can own the studios. The kind of songs I’ve done in the last five years and the amount of views they’ve gotten — if I ever want to perform them on stage, I have to pay to do so. It’s disheartening, but you have to persist in a competitive market. If you don't do it, somebody else will. So you might as well do it. I feel that as technicians, we should all have, if not the pie, at least the crumbs, whatever that is.”

Pookutty offered an example of equitable practices from independent cinema. “Talking about residuals — mainstream films in India haven’t implemented them, but independent films have. For example, Rajat Kapoor, when he makes a film, we all get a pie. We never ask for money. Sunil Doshi, producer of Bheja Fry (2007), didn’t expect it to be a huge hit, but when it was, he gave everyone residuals. Independent filmmakers are doing it. We have an artistic collaboration where nothing is asked, everything is given. I’m looking forward to the mainstream industry developing into something like that,” he concluded.