Is anyone out there listening? Article

Z ee TV has been on a roll recently with a string of dramas that have pulled in strong TRP numbers. But the producers who make those shows have another story to tell – of payments long overdue, creative interference and employ- ees in Zee's technical department are allegedly up to "underhand dealings." Maayka Take the prime time show Maay- ka. The show apparently was approved with a budget of Rs 4.80 lakh per episode. This was to cov- er the cost of the two families seen in the show. The channel had assured the producer, Klassic Films, that if another family was brought into the storyline, they would be paid extra. Since the show began, the costs incurred include Rs 30 lakh for the shooting of the first daughter's wedding, the picturi- sation of 13 songs and fees owed to lead actress Neha Bamb. The channel had originally agreed to bear these costs but so far, it's been producer Ashvin Varma who has paid – and has not been reimbursed – for those bills. The show's plot is now headed into a sequence in which Bamb, who plays the youngest daugh- ter, commits suicide. It is expect- ed to be a cost-intensive sequence. Varma and the writer Anjana Sood reportedly con- stantly clash over writing scenes to fit a budget. Fed up with mounting costs, Varma reportedly wrote to Zee's program- ming head Ashwini Yar- di, who promised to look into the matter. Varma claims it has been almost three weeks since and there's been no follow-up action. With the imminent intro- duction of a third family into the story- line, Varma has threatened not to shoot till all issues are sorted. Teen Bahuraniyaan Another similarly plagued Zee show is the recently launched Teen Bahuranniyaan. Producer Paresh Rawal and his team are having a tough time complying with Zee's demands for shoots and re-shoots. A source quoted a recent inci- dent when Zee insisted on re- shooting the concluding sequence of episode six and the opening sequence of episode seven involving 17 characters. Finally, the production house put its foot down and refused to shoot the sequence. Siindoor Jay Mehta's case was no different. The scripts of his show Siindoor were never approved on time. Because of that, he ended up bearing additional costs flying the episode to Delhi or uplinking it from Mumbai. Bills apparently got so out of hand that Siindoor was taken off air this month. Miditech's Parivar was to replace Siindoor next week. But again, Zee has expressed dissat- isfaction with the episodes that have been banked and wants a re- shoot. This is expected to delay Parivar's launch. Pay first And if all this wasn't enough, producers claim they are being harassed by Zee's technical department, which clears their unmixed masters. It is alleged that payments are demanded ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 in cash to clear master tapes. It is every channel's practice that the producer is paid only after the technical department clears the master tapes. On condition of anonymity, a producer revealed, "The techni- cal department staffers harass the producers if their pockets are not filled." [email protected]