Production houses led by (from left) Aditya Chopra, Rangita Pritish Nandy and Karan Johar are known to be cognisant of editors’ needs

Change can have a ripple effect as can be seen in the Hindi film industry. After the Screenwriters Association flagged the issues faced by Bollywood writers (Bollywood headed on the ‘write’ path, May 8), the editors’ community has put the spotlight on their grievances. The Film Editors United (FEU) – a 500-plus member collective comprising editors, associate and assistant editors – is taking cognizance of the long working hours that are being demanded from them, leading to multiple cases of burnout and depression. Keen to establish fair working practices, the FEU is having dialogues with editors across the board with the aim to formulate guidelines that are in their best interest.

Editor Antara Lahiri, who has worked on Delhi Crime, Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness (2022) and the recent Tooth Pari, says the FEU will present an agreement to the Association of Film and Video Editors (AFVE), which will then take it forward to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). 

"For starters, they are trying to negotiate a basic minimum wage much like SWA. The issue with wage is that it can be forcefully implemented. If a production approaches a young editor and offers something lower than a minimum wage, and the editor feels this is the best I will get, then they will go for what’s being paid even if it is subpar. One part of the issue is that editors are not empowered to say no or ask for better. That is a systemic industry issue. Budgets are being slashed lower and lower everyday and there’s never been any discussion around overtime payments. Several productions in the meantime are opting for young, newer and therefore cheaper editors who are afraid to ask for what they deserve."

The biggest concern of the FEU – which includes leading editors Sreekar Prasad, Namrata Rao, Nitin Baid, Jabeen Merchant, and many others – is that assistants and associates are working 18-hour days, sometimes seven days a week.  Editors are often receiving footage worth several hours per day because multiple cameras are being deployed to cover more angles and cover scenes faster on shoot.

On an average, an editor can safely edit 3-4 minutes a day. But current post-production schedules, specifically those received from streamers are not factoring in humane working hours, quantum of footage, or holidays for the edit team. In fact, most contracts have a clause where they have to agree to “work on all days of the week, irrespective of Saturday, Sunday or govt holidays”.  The FEU is in the process of having conversations with editors of different Experience groups and creating a requirements draft.

Lahiri elaborates, “Independently, FEU can only present an ideal agreement to the Union, who can then present it to the federation (FWICE). A negotiation can then begin on the feasibility of the demands being made. Eventually, the matter will have to be heard by the Guild. Not to sound like a cynic, but there will still be producers who will not agree to certain things. The Guild and the union can only do that much but individual producers have to be less feudal in their approach.”

Overtime and no day off are the most concerning facets, says Lahiri. “The concept of overtime doesn’t exist in the industry. The Union says editors should get a day off every week. On shoots there is a compulsory day off. But in post-production, there have been situations with new editors that I have been told if there is work you have to come on Sunday. On paper all rules are there but in practice they are not followed. Unfortunately the contracts note that editors sign up to work on Saturdays, Sundays and Government holidays. When we checked with lawyers, unfortunately freelancers are not covered by the rules of the labour laws.”

Lahiri explains that even basics like meals are not provided to younger editors. “The working hours, pay and working conditions for editors ought to be improved. Many producers send a dabba for the team based on hierarchy. So HOD will get a good budget to order but assistants are meted out way lower budgets. There is a strange sort of hierarchy where juniors are getting below average food.”

She says that reputed producers, including Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Rangita Pritish Nandy and Siddharth Roy Kapur, are cognizant of editors’ needs. “Senior producers in the industry appreciate editors. Platforms like Netflix and Amazon make calls and understand how the post production process works better. The senior editors always have their way. They have clout. But it’s always about how the associate editors are treated. They know workflow processes and promote a certain level of equality. I don’t believe it is malicious. But many smaller set ups don’t value what editors bring to table. Bigger set ups are more cognizant of what editors (regardless of their designations) need. The spaces are clean and thoughtfully provided.”

>> A comfortable ergonomic chair for the editor, a work-appropriate table, and other equipment

>> A pleasant and clean edit room

>> Clean bathrooms, especially for women

>> Nutritious meals, clean drinking water, and fresh beverages

>> Adequate rest period, ideally 12 hours, for the editor and team

Antara Lahiri