Even under perfect conditions, canning 260 episodes in a year is a Herculean task. So, it is not surprising that telly producers have finally decided to crack the whip on errant actors and crew members. From reporting late to chewing tobacco and smoking, all bad habits are 'punishable offences' under their new policy. If this reminds you of that strict teacher in school, well, that's because some rules and penalties are actually straight out of the class room. Read on...

NO COMPROMISE ON PUNCTUALITY
Setting a bench-mark: Vikas Gupta, the producer of Warrior High, feels monetary fines won't pinch actors, as most are paid handsomely. So, he penalises latecomers by making them stand on a bench for 10 minutes. He says, “Fines are not taken seriously by actors. Since my show has a college as its backdrop, I decided to come up with a punishment that will take my team back to its student days.“

The timetable trick: Producer Sunjoy Waddhwa has opted to rely on an age old practice - setting a timetable - to boost his team's productivity. Be it working hours or breaks, everything has a fixed timing. Copies of the timetable have been put up around the set. He says, “This will instil a sense of punctuality, thus enhancing our production and creative values.“


TOBACCO-FREE SETS
For the sake of a healthier work environment, many makers are enforcing the anti-tobacco rule. Producers Rajan Shahi, Yash Patnaik, Sunjoy Waddhwa and Sumeet Mittal have banned unhealthy habits like chewing tobacco, gutka, pan masala containing tobacco, cigarettes, etc - on the sets of their shows. Violators are fined Rs 100. Actress Shraddha Arya, currently seen in Dream Girl, says, “Statistics prove that 50% people who chew tobacco die from the health hazards caused by it. I am proud of this initiative by the producers. If it dissuades even five people from consuming tobacco, it's great.“ Rajan adds, “A show belongs to the entire team and so, a positive and healthy environment is everyone's responsibility. Smoking is not entertained on my sets. Apart from its obvious health hazards, there is also the risk of it causing fire. All rules are decided unanimously and applicable on all. It is never an individual's decision.“

Yash says, “We strongly believe in maintaining discipline, decorum and hygiene on our sets. Cigarettes and other tobacco-based products have been a complete no-no for years. Our cast and crew don't even need to be reminded about it anymore.“

BAN ON VANITY VAN
To ensure maximum utilisation of time, Vikas has barred his actors from retiring into their vanity vans in between shots. “The to and fro between vanity vans and sets consumes a lot of time. So, actors are not allowed to return to their rooms till the whole scene is captured. This also helps them stay connected to the character,“ he says.

AN EXPENSIVE 'RING'
Chatting on phone can turn out to be an expensive affair on Sumeet's sets. If anyone, including him, is found with a ringing/vibrating phone at work, he/she has to treat the whole unit to sumptuous food. Actress Shraddha has ended up treating the entire unit to lavish meals on several occasions. She says, “I often forget to switch my phone off or keep it on silent mode. But after a few expensive treats, I have now learnt my lesson.“

Producer Rajan Shahi also fines team members Rs 500 every time someone's mobile phone rings in between shots.

POINTS FORFEITED
Recently, lack of discipline cost celebrity participants of dance reality show Nach Baliye some precious points. Judge Preity Zinta was seriously miffed when participants started disappearing during the shoot, causing delays and panic. She decided to penalise the erring couples by deducting two points from their score.