CINTAA STATEMENT

 

The Indian Film Industry  which has been in existence for more than a century is a land of opportunity to  thousands of people who have chosen to embark on this career path to take care of their livelihood and accomplish their missions in life.

The Media & the Entertainment Industry has always been a significant  contributor to the economy, and also the served the Nation's interests as its cultural ambassadors.

In times of national crisis and natural calamities, the Media Fraternity has solidly supported the endeavours of the Government, to help by their resources and public influence. 

Actors in particular are the face of the Industry who have enthralled the audiences everwhere with their talent; many are academically accomplished and have chosen this career to satisfy their creative passion. Many have trained themselves and dedicated their lives in pursuit of creative excellence.

Recently, Film Industry in general and actors in particular have been in the Eye of a Storm of invasive media scrutiny, not all of it justified, and in some sections of the Press, motivated for reasons other than fair news reporting. 

However, one feature that has emerged out of this has been the unfortunate reality of the spread of use of banned drugs, in society at large and Film Industry in particular. 

We, Cine & TV Artists association (CINTAA) take this issue very seriously. We simply say NO TO DRUGS.

As an association, we very strongly rebuke anyone involved in consumption of drugs , no matter the name and fame such an individual  enjoys in our fraternity and society. We acknowledge the power and influence many of our Industry have over the gullible minds of the young and we believe that their actions, whether in privacy of their own homes or otherwise, have a great bearing on society at large; they are Role Models for the youth and thus have more than reasonable responsibility  for exemplary conduct..

While we do advocate a strict punishment to those who are proved guilty, our endeavor is always to make the whole system free of drugs and its adverse repercussions and to have a clean working arena for existing and aspiring actors. We would support any individual or institution who furthers this cause. 

In conclusion:  SAY NO TO DRUGS AND YES TO LIFE.

 

Executive Committee

CINTAA 

 

NIO: Creating a Vision of Community Focus

We all are facing unprecedented times these days of COVID-19 pandemic. It is during these situations that we all get a glimpse of how people stand up to each other to help them and try to ease out the situation. Like doctors and paramedics who have been working tirelessly, selflessly for the past several months in fighting this pandemic, we also have seen our police force working endlessly, be it for law and order, or to prevent panic situations or sometimes enforcing safety measures for the public at large! 

National Institute of Ophthalmology, one of Pune’s oldest eye institutes celebrated its 27th Foundation Day on 5th of September.  An eye institute which is committed to serving the poor and needy, thought it befitting that these heroes of today’s times be recognized in some way or the other. 

With Dr. Shreekant Kelkar, and Mrs. Aruna Kelkar at the helm, Dr. Aditya Kelkar and Dr. Jai Kelkar, and NIO family distributed Safety Gears consisting of Dust Free Goggles for Eye Protection, Three-layer Reusable Masks and Reflective Safety Jackets to the Pune Traffic Police and PMC Department Employees.  Team NIO covered Traffic Police stations in the vicinity of Chaturshrungi, Deccan gymkhana, Shivaji Nagar and Kothrud. 

National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) is one of the first JCI Accredited (Joint Commission International) and NABH Accredited Eye Care Hospital in Pune.  NIO Super Specialty Eye Care is known for its ultra-modern facilities, subspecialty clinics, state of the art operation theatres equipped with the ARTEVO  3D surgery platform, FEMTOLASER assisted cataract surgery with the Catalyst system. IntraLase for glasses removal, well integrated diagnostics, imaging and laser systems, daycare recovery suites, educational and research activities with clinical expertise and sophistication of diagnostic and treatment procedures. From General Ophthalmology to super specialty clinics like Cataract Department, Cornea Department, Retina Department, Pediatric Ophthalmology Department, Glaucoma and Neuro Ophthalmology Department, Refractive Surgery Department and Oculoplasty, NIO caters to “Every Why in Your Eye” 

National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) delivers high quality eye care services by annually screening more than 75,000 out-patients and performing more than 60,000 successful eye surgeries 

NIO's CSR wing also runs a regular Charitable OPD in designated rural areas and economically backward patients are treated at concessional rate or even free of cost. 

We hope to continue serving the society and on this 27th year of foundation, we thank all our patients and well-wishers for their patronage and pray almighty to keep everyone safe.

My battle is to give hope to many others to fight against injustice: Sachiin Joshi

“An average Indian believes that an investment in gold passes down generations, more so when a celebrity endorses a company that is offering the said gold scheme. My legal battle is merely a representation of many of the investors of Satyug Gold who might have invested in the gold scheme at a discounted rate, only to never receive the gold,” says actor-entrepreneur Sachiin Joshi, who, after paying Rs. 18,57,870 on March 25, 2014, has been asked by the then Shilpa Shetty-Raj Kundra promoted Satyug Gold to pay a penalty of Rs. 25,50,000 in order to collect the gold for which an amount of Rs 18,57,870 had already been paid to them six years ago. 

“If I am asked to pay Rs 25 lakh to collect Rs 18 lakh gold after six years of my hard-earned money lying with a company, imagine the state of the common man who must have invested believing a celebrity who endorsed a company as its Chairman! I feel defrauded to say the least. And then I realised that I should stand up against what is wrong as I might be the hope for many others.”

The matter is subjudice through arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 of India. As per the court, Satyug Gold was made to deposit the 1kg of gold with the Prothonotary and Senior Master of the Hon. Bombay High Court, who then took custody of the gold and sealed and secured it in the High Court’s strong-room/vault. As Sachiin Joshi was abroad, his counsel requested that the gold be handed over to his representative. 

As the hearing and final disposal of the arbitration proceedings and for was in a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the Award by the parties and / or their Advocates, the Prothonotary and Senior Master shall continue to retain the gold bar weighing 1.022 kg in the safe deposit vault opened / obtained in his name in the Bank of India pursuant to the directions of G.S.Patel, J. dated 7th September, 2020.

Sachiin Joshi has earlier filed a complaint on January 18th of this year in Khar Police Station, Mumbai, under sections 406, 409 and 420 of the IPC for the alleged fraudulent representation and nonreceipt of gold after six years of making the payment to Satyug Gold at the behest of Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty who  were then, the office-bearers of the company.

 

'Broken Wings' First Nepali-Hindi Film To Be Made In Darjeeling Post Independence

  Darjeeling-based filmmaker Shenpenn Khymsar makes his directorial debut with the film, Broken Wings, which he says is based on real issues of his land. Khymsar claims that this is the first time in post-Independence India that a Nepali-Hindi language film has been “made in Darjeeling”, though there are many films that have been shot in the hill station.

“I am from Darjeeling and I felt it is best to resonate your story and sites of your upbringing in your filmmaking. A lot of people in the Hindi belt and South India aren’t aware that this is a part of India. They know it for the tea and the toy train. Darjeeling is an intricate part of India where Nepali is a spoken language. Nepali is actually also a constitutional language of India,” Khymsar said

CINTAA STATEMENT

 The News Media, an integral part of the Media & Entertainment Industry has been outrageously vehement these last few weeks, in attacking men and women from the Actors fraternity as if they are participants and instigators in an alleged conspiracy that has occupied headlines recently in the public domain. It is important for them to realise that one cannot function as a self-appointed judge, jury & executioner.

 

In an attempt to boost viewership ratings, the catastrophic repercussions are ignored. That itself is reason enough for all to seriously introspect and put an end to the ill-informed debates and personal opinions being voiced by all and sundry. 

Without prejudice, the Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA), which represents the Actors Community for over six decades, thought it befitting to break its silence in retaliation to those who are out to defame and slander its members. 

As a fraternity, we too want a fair investigation but till such time that the truth is not unearthed, a persons reputation should not be maligned, their livelihood should not be snatched away, their self-esteem should not be  trampled upon and their integrity should not be questioned.

 

Actors are cultural ambassadors of this great Nation and the countries core values are shared through them with rest of the world.

CINTAA is one of the strongest Unions in the Film Fraternity. Our ideology is truly secular and it fosters true brotherhood, no matter what caste, creed or religion any member belongs to. As the fifth largest member of the International Federation of Actors-Performers Union (FIA) our voices and statements are valued world over.

 For us it is heartening to say that many of our Actors have been a recipient  of the Padma Shri/Padma Bhushan  awards coupled with many National & International citations. We belong to an intelligent, respectful and educated class and our body of work in the world of Entertainment stands second to none, even in the Global Arena. 

 To add, some members from our community are also Members of Parliament and to defame the whole community is far from acceptance. A retired Army officer who has stood on the Borders is  an actor today. A nursing officer who rendered her services much beyond the call of her duty during these pandemic times is also an actor.  In times of any National Adversities the actors fraternity have stood shoulder to shoulder to mitigate miseries of people, be it financially, emotionally or otherwise.

CINTAA, very strongly advocates upholding the Dignity of all women and hence have put in place all the necessary checks and balances at the work spots. Any instances of disrespect to our female colleagues is a matter of serious concern  and we do adopt taking the severest of actions and punishments to the offenders. Pertinent to add that the Me-too movement that emerged for sexual abuse has been very appropriate. 

 

We, therefore reiterate, that the Industry for the larger part, is a safe haven and yes, we would be the first to acknowledge that like in any other sector, there may exist some bad elements and by recognising and weeding them out, we are constantly looking to improve ourselves. 

 

However, stretching beyond one’s wildest imagination, the exuberance showcased by some anchors to capture eye balls is outrageous and without any hard evidence. We deeply condemn such impetuous topics of debate that tarnishes the image of a whole community. 

Let’s remind ourselves that the Entertainment Industry is in existence for more than a century and through the years has remained a worthy place to be in.

 

Regards

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CINTAA

CINTAA ties up with Zindagi Helpline for combating suicides, empanels with psychiatrists, psychotherapists

 

The fragility beneath the glamorous greasepaint of Bollywood always comes to light when suicides throw up the alarming issue of mental health crisis that lurks beneath the layers of makeup of the actors who form the face of the industry. What is more, these very vulnerable faces are the role models that the junta looks up to lead by example.
 “The layers of pressure for an actor are as much or more than the layers of makeup,” says actor Amit Behl. “The social media adds to the stress of being under constant watch. The industry is not about constant fame or constant income and the lockdown has obviously added to the anxiety and stress, leading to depression over an uncertain future. But Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) is not cash-rich,” avers actor Amit Behl, Sr Joint Secretary and Spokesperson, CINTAA. “We reach out to our members in as many ways possible and hold hands, not just during pandemic but always.” CINTAA has now tied up with Zindagi Helpline that offers counselling support with a care group which consists of experts and empaths alike. CINTAA also empanelled with psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts and psychologists on our care committee. “We are very concerned about this issue and want to take it up further,” reveals Behl.
CINTAA first took cognisance of this fact when CINTAA member, Pratyusha Banerjee committed suicide in 2015. Since then, the CINTAA care committee and outreach committee have organised seminars and counselling sessions dealing with mental health, physical health, yoga as well as counselling for anxiety, depression, suicide prevention measures.
“We were also at the forefront of the sexual harassment and the MeToo movement. We’ve also done webinars on this, including one with the internationally renowned psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria. We’ve also shared a lot of suicide helplines and numbers on our social media,” avers Behl who adds that CINTAA is approaching major studios, stakeholders, broadcasters and corporates who could donate some money through their CSR to set up a 24/7 helpline for artists and technicians.
“Mental health is stigmatised in our country and the words, depression or anxiety are looked upon as though they don’t exist in our dictionary. In Bollywood, actors are like fireflies, They look immortal, but their life of glory is short-lived. They are not able to reach out for help. But of late, actors like Deepika Padukone have sought to lead by example, making it easier for others. Hence, Zindagi Helpine will make a vital difference,” says social activist Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, the founder of Zindagi Helpline. “The group has experts and empaths alike and anyone in trauma always has someone who will lend them an ear as well as help them get help on time. It is simply about being there for one another.”
Says Dr Shrradha Sidhwani, psychologist & psychotherapist, Associate Fellow & Supervisor of REBT (USA), and one of the Core Founding Members of Zindagi Helpline, “The film and television industry has huge highs and lows. Even before the pandemic. Now, there is an urgent need of psychological intervention. When your movie is released, one is busy with name, fame, work, surrounded by people and travelling constantly for promotions. There is a lot of anxiety before the release as well as after, and a lot of pressure in handling critical comments. Individuals tend to personalise these comments and often may feel rejected and have a sense of not being good enough or have failed if the project doesn’t do well.”
Sidhwani believes that most of us define ourselves based on the work we do and actors bear the negative judgments of their audience, and that this may lead them to feel helpless and worthless.
“A lot of social validation and competition surrounds the acting world. In the race to become successful one may lose himself just to wear the mask of a character. A thin line lies between who you are and what character you play.
Since work is not guaranteed, people have to live with uncertainty and may be deeply insecure about their life. No doubt it is high maintenance to be an actor and one needs to constantly generate money to keep up their PR or social presence. At times this constant pressure weighs a person down and they may be too harsh on themselves.”
Student-writer Vedant Gill, who is battling depression himself, speaks of how assumptions about suicide and mental illness are sometimes weird. “People tend to think we are shirking work or that we are being unreasonable. At times, they bring religion or God in between. But not every person who is depressed wants to commit suicide, and even if they do it is to end their pain, not to die. If they have someone holding their hand and have counselling and medication at the right time, without skipping, it surely will help. One needs to earn not just for money but also to have a sense of purpose. Therapy takes time and patience is critical. There needs to be parental, familial and community support. We need someone who lends an ear without being judgemental. And that is not asking for much.”
Sidhwani offers simple solutions. “Loss and loneliness are also defining factors in this journey and at times the spotlight is on you and at times you are left completely with yourself while there is no work. One needs to evaluate and constantly remind themselves that being alone does not mean you are lonely and develop other interest, hobbies, skills. Keep good connectivity with family members and old friends and remember there is another reality other than show business,” she says.
Behl has the last word. “CINTAA will take the initiative, but we’d like the industry to come together, tackle this and make it a very healthy ecosystem. We want to follow the same lines that our colleagues in the US and UK, primarily, that is, Equity UK and SAG-AFTRA US are doing, they have these helplines and they’ve been very beneficial to members. Hopefully, we will also tie-up with the Screenwriters’ Association and FWICE in creating this kind of a helpline. We are initiating a series of dialogues with the Producers’ Council, the broadcasters in the Indian Broadcasters’ Forum so that we do not face such casualties in the future,” concludes Behl.

 

 

 

“Talented artistes should equally be given their due. If not, then we will only get their support after our death” - Vishwajeet Pradhan

His histrionics are such that he can never escape from his character.  His roles always end up being an intrinsic part of his lifetime. When Vishwajeet Pradhan signs a film, he tries to have an inclination for people similar to his on-screen persona. Hence, when the actor felt that the Hindi film industry wasn’t offering him a tidy career that he enjoyed, he took a brief  hiatus and moved Down Under with his family to explore different avenues. This was five years ago. “I became this other person. My career took off in a different direction,” reflects Vishwajeet.

However, theatre and television kept the passion in him alive.

Then came a Red Chillies film offer followed by the role of Sampat in the gangster TV series Aarya on Disney+ Hotstar. “The maker, Ram Madhwani was sensible and I have an instinct to work with such kind of people. It is in me. I just understand them. It was a good role of an entertainer with amazing shades of grey, albeit on the other side. But I knew that in the grand scheme of things, it would not define my identity. It was not a lead role, no big deal. Yet Sampat, he was the brawn to the brain. He was bad, yet good. He was fearsome, yet comical. And he was humane for a hitman. I have never been the type who poses for a contractually obligated red carpet experience. The call had to be from my heart.”

 The maker, the production values, the script, the character visualisation and the cast including Sushmita Sen and Chandrachud Singh excited Vishwajeet. “Sampat had a certain intelligence and elegance and the ability to deflect uncomfortable situations with humour. He provided a different hue to the creative spectrum of actors.” 

Once facing the arclights for Aarya, Vishwajeet reflected on his paths played and lessons learned over 30 years in Bollywood, the pros and cons of mega-fame, and realised an ironic truth: the first photograph that he left at an ad filmmaker’s office that is Equinox Films, hoping for a revert as a newbie was that of Ram Madhwani. 

“It was like coming a full circle. It took him 30 years to cast me and I told him that!  I decided to go the OTT way with the limited series Aarya.” “Quoting George Clooney,” Vishwajeet grins, “’Every actor wants to be a film actor’ But this show was conceived such that it was no less than a film. In that sense, it was a life changer. The show mirrored Ram Madhwani’s heart, soul and sentiment, and this creative energy channeled a part of me to see what is in front of me. “ 

Vishwajeet broke the spell of his five-year acting hiatus with Aarya. “It was such a departure from what I had set out to do with my life. The flip side was that I would not be held responsible for the show itself, and could afford a loofah on myself, something I could not for a long time.” 

When Vishwajeet basked in the experience of a brilliantly conceived show with Aarya, he made up his mind to stay back and embrace creatively daring passion projects. It was as though destiny agreed with him, and COVID struck, bringing his family back to India. 

“With my family by me, I can take offbeat roles, explore unique characters and experience the exhilaration of being liberated enough to escape the straitjacket of movie stardom today. Admitted, I have worked with an incredible list of brilliant directors, writers and co-actors. But in Hindi films, you are restricted by what you are offered, and television is like running a factory. It is about churning out maximum episodes in minimal time.” 

Vishwajeet confesses that he is once again hopeful and hungry for good roles. “The actor in me is a restless, prowling creature. He is a painter who seeks an apocryphal glow with every role. Never mind the size of the canvas!” 

Adds he, “Acting, to me, is practice of patience. I want to be the dreamer and stop being affected by the hardness and coldness of having a superficial career in an artificial world. The power of audio-visual media is not just entertaining today. It affects social change. And that is something that we both want and need. And as realisation has sunk in, I have come to undeestand that it is best to feel things and not bury them. 

“From the era of Shakti Kapoor, Amrish Puri to the actors who sprung from Anurag Kashyap camp, Bollywood tells a chilling story of actors not being considered or ousted from films over three decades. Today, my maturity does not let me bask in the success of an unexpected twist of fate or bother to filter myself, and happily work out of the mainstream glare, if that means searching for something deeper.” 

Shrugs Vishwajeet, “I know these views may not augur well with a lot of people.  But I prefer to live my life, peeling away layers of nepotism and shoot straight from the lip.

“Nepotism made it extremely difficult for me to function. Thirty years later, the industry is still riddled with the same flaws, and trying to make oneself heard is like pleading your case to a blind judge leading deaf detractors. The social media following of an actor cannot define his craft. Talented artistes should equally be given their due. If not, then we will only get the audience's appreciation after our death."