'Film Employees Body Won't Cooperate Unless …’: RK Selvamani Courts Controversy For His Statement

South film director RK Selvamani is currently making headlines for his controversial statement. He is the president of the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI). In a recent media interaction, RK Selvamani said that after Diwali, FEFSI will not cooperate with production companies that do not provide a recommendation letter from the producers association. This statement of his is currently garnering everyone’s attention. According to reports, some documents were signed last year between the Tamil Film Producers Council and FEFSI. In it, the employees of the FEFSI organisation decided to give some honours to the low-budget films. It was also decided that the workers of FEFSI would work only if each production company provides a letter of recommendation from the producers’ association.

Reports suggest that now there is an allegation that some production companies are shooting without providing a recommendation letter. Thus, the concerned production company should submit the recommendation letter of the producer association to FEFSI before Diwali. If this is not provided, the workers will not go to work on the relevant films, and FEFSI will not cooperate with them.

Few days ago, RK Selvamani was in the limelight as he claimed that dancers who were chosen for a song in the Vijay-starrer Leo didn’t receive their proper payment. In an interview, Selvamani said FEFSI, in association with Tamil Nadu Film, Television Dancers, and Dance Directors Union (TANTTNNIS), had sent 600 members of their organisation for the Leo song, against the requirement of 2,000 dancers requested by director Lokesh Kanagaraj and dance choreographer Dinesh. Later, they also sent non-members who had basic knowledge of dance to bridge the remaining requirement of 1,400 dancers.

RK Selvamani further added that FEFSI and the makers of Leo were under a contract to provide the dancers with a basic pay of Rs 1,000 along with a conveyance of Rs 750 and food for the number of days the song was shot. They only received a pay total of Rs 94.60 lakh, including service charges for the rehearsal sessions. Selvamani asserted that a consolidated six-day pay of Rs 10,750 was deposited in the bank accounts of the non-members as well. Selvamani claimed that the dancers employed for the song in Leo weren’t paid.