All play and less work for child actors

The glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry attract people of all ages. Some join sooner than others and make their mark early on. And these child actors often have to work just as hard as the rest of the cast and crew, leaving their childhood behind to pursue their dreams.

However, the new amendments of the Child Labour Laws, which were published in June this year, have gone a long way to ensure that these kids are not worked to the ground. Not only are children’s working hours in the entertainment industry now fixed at a maximum of five hours, they are also not going to be allowed to work for more than three hours at a stretch.

While the 2016 amendments had a few loopholes, when it removed the blanket ban on child labour for children in the entertainment industry, the 2017 rules and regulations have put a lot of queries to rest.

Filmmaker and producer Amole Gupte, who had been one of the first people in the entertainment industry to speak up about child actors in the industry, commends the government on the move. “I have been putting self-restrictions over the years since I started producing films like Stanley Ka Dabba. I work in a workshop format, wherein the children come in only on Saturdays for a four-hour stretch. And even then, we have film screenings and discussions along with the shoot,” he explains.

The kids of Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma including Bhavya.

With the crazy hours that the movie industry — and the TV industry more so — keeps, this law is bound to change their routines for the better. However, Bhavya Gandhi, who played the role of Tappu in the iconic TV show Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, wonders how far these laws can be implemented. “When we used to shoot, the atmosphere was like that of a family, and the stress factor was not very high. Even then, there were many days in which we put in over 10 hours of work. And I know for a fact that there are other production houses that are even tougher on kids. We all know how the industry works. I don’t think that one can work for less than eight hours a day,” he shrugs.

Akshay Batchu, who has been part of several TV shows, advertisements and movies as a child actor, believes that it is finally time for some change. “Some production houses are tougher on you than others. I worked in a show for one of the biggest production houses in the industry now, and they made me work 12-hour days every day. I put in the same hours for the movie Wanted, which I did as a kid. Once, an entire train set had to be redesigned at the last minute before the shoot could start, and we had to wait eight hours for it to happen. Only then could we start shooting. Still, I loved it all. I believe that waiting is only a part of the entire process. Having said that, I think that kids nowadays are much faster at picking up the tricks of the trade and could probably finish the required work in five hours. So, it would be good if the change can be brought in,” he smiles.

Amole is a living example that a sustainable and child-friendly environment can be created while filming. However, he also admits to having had his share of challenges. “Sometimes the parents themselves are not interested in investing that kind of time that’s needed. I did a smaller project — One Idiot, where the protagonist was a child, and when I told his mother that I wanted to spread it out over four Saturdays, and do four hours each, she had a problem with it. She would much rather if I had done finished it in a day and shot for 12 hours. The problem is not just with the parents or directors, everyone gets caught in the fast pace of the industry and the child actors themselves are often thought of last,” he rues.

Bhavya’s mother Yashoda Gandhi says that chasing a glamorous life without knowing the consequences is often where parents go wrong. “They don’t ask their children if this is what they want to do or not or check if they are truly inclined to do it or just caught in the prospect of being famous. You need to see if the child is actually eager to act. Otherwise the whole exercise is useless,” she says.

Amole, who is also the chairperson of the Children’s Film Society, hopes that these laws will be upheld stringently. “Just as the Animal Welfare Board has been active in ensuring there isn’t any cruelty towards animals in films, I hope that the Ministry of Women and Child Development will also enforce these laws strictly,” he signs off.

Sayani Gupta

Sayani Gupta
I have always felt even with little kids doing serials and ads, that it strips them of their innocence and somewhere pushes them to grow up before they should. It also gives them a false sense of popularity and many a time, when these children grow up into adults, they always feel they are neither here nor there. People don’t recognise them anymore but they still undergo a sense of turmoil as they need to find their place in the industry again from scratch. I feel children should be protected from any kind of fake notion of stardom or a false sense of being. It is imperative to protect their childhood. And actually use those years to learn a craft and hone their talent. It’s like counting the eggs before they have been hatched. Please spare their childhood.    
— Inputs by Subhash K. Jha