Naseeruddin Shah on box office hauls: ‘A large share is taken away by demons called distributors and exhibitors’

Naseeruddin Shah has said when a film performs well, the major part of the cream is always eaten away by distributors and exhibitors. The actor was speaking on the sidelines of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinema Projection in Mumbai, a BollywoodHungama report said. (Also read| When Naseeruddin Shah spoke about his first salary: ‘I got ₹7.5′)

Remuneration in filmmaking

Sharing his views on the low payment in various departments of filmmaking, Naseeruddin said, “The bitter truth is that those who work the hardest while making a film, their renumeration is the lowest. They stand in water till their waist and look after the broken electric wires. They carry reflectors. They carry bags on their shoulders and climb on the top and remain there throughout the day; nobody asks them for water or tea. Their payment is one-thousandth of those who sit on chairs under the fan while having sherbet and show attitude.”

‘Demons aka Distributors and Exhibitors’

He added, “The sad part is that this saga doesn’t end with the completion of the film. When the film gets completed and if it becomes successful, toh iski asli malaai distributors aur exhibitors naam ka darinde kha jaate hain (a large share of it is eaten away by the demons called distributors and exhibitors). And those who make our dreams come true, nobody knows them, and they are neither given respect nor rewards.”

Film Heritage Foundation workshop

Naseeruddin was the chief guest at the event organised by Film Heritage Foundation Wednesday evening. Workshops were also held as part of the event and Kamal Amrohi’s 1949 classic Mahal was also screened at Mumbai’s Regal theatre, as part of the Film Projection in Practice Workshop. Two newly-restored films – Tiger of Eschnapur (1938) and Nosferatu: The Symphony of Horrors (1922) – were screened at the cinema hall earlier this week.

Screenings at Film Projection in Practice Workshop

Regal Cinema’s Mohammed Aslam Fakih; National Film Archives of India’s P A Salam; and Amardeep Cinema and Raj Talkies’ (Raipur) Lakhan Lal Yadav were honoured with the awards. They also received ₹50,000 each in honour of their contribution to the field. They have all served the industry for more than 50 years.