wewake
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Tamil TV channels of late prefer to air dubbed serials than locally shot ones. Switch to any channel any time, and you'd get to see anything from Korean, mythological serials to Hindi content dubbed in Tamil being aired. This has led to discontentment among the small screen technicians and actors, many of whom feel that this trend is starting to affect their livelihoods. Most of them are totally dependent on the daily wages they get when shooting for local serials. Which is why, this coming Sunday, small screen actors and technicians are planning to go on a hunger strike to express their concern. So, what are their concerns?
Loss of incomes
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"So many dubbed serials are being aired on Tamil television channels these days. Of course, the channels have the right to telecast content of their choice, but our concern is that if all channels start opting for dubbed serials, production of local serials will come down, and this will definitely affect the livelihoods and thereby, the families of innumerable actors and crew, who solely rely on the income generated from shooting for serials."
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For each episode of a locally shot serial, an actor (not the famous ones), and the technicians, can earn up to `5000. So, only if they get to be on the set every day, that their monthly income would be somewhat respectable. Instead, the channels have discovered that they can gain better monetary benefits from dubbed serials. We want to request them to see this issue from the humanitarian aspect, as many families rely on the income from the serials. We are planning to go on a hunger strike this weekend to express our concerns. Many TV actors and technicians will be taking part. We also want to appeal to the audience to watch only regional serials," says Thalapathy, head of Federation of Small Screen Technicians, Tamil Nadu.
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We need to fight for this issue, says TV actress Neelima Rani, "Dubbed serials are nothing new. The channels have been airing them for a long time. Two years ago, also, we had raised our voices against the same issue, but no one could find a solution. Yes, there is an imminent problem due to the increase in number of dubbed serials, but we want a permanent solution."
Channels say...
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Dubbed serials are visually attractive, and sleekly packaged, and that's why audiences watch it, says an industry insider. The source adds, "Mythological serials like Nagini, Seedhaiyin Raman and Jai Hanuman are very expensive to make within our budgets. Hindi serials are made on a budget of `18 lakh per episode, and so, they have lavish sets, expensive costumes, and A-list artistes. The CG works for their mythological series are done for a whopping sum. Fact is, they can afford to spend so much because their market is huge. Here, we cannot afford to spend so much on a serial. So, serials which are difficult to make locally due to budget constraints are bought, dubbed and aired," tells the source.
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Dubbed soaps are aired on Polimer, Vijay TV, and Sun TV, among others. What is it that makes them opt for this? Is it the TRP or the budget? A programming head of one of the channels, on conditions of anonymity, tells us, "The reasons are very simple. Number one: it is a cost-cutting trick. When you produce a serial, you have to spend a little over a lakh per episode, whereas we buy these serials for `40,000-60,000, dub it and re-telecast it. And we have to spend only on the dubbing. Number two: the channel gets good TRPs from such soaps, as the audiences like watching these serials for their richness of production, the jewellery and costumes, and, of course, the content. So dubbed serials are, on the whole, a no-loss proposition for the channels. In fact, some of the channels like Polimer and Raj TV, are getting better TRPs for their dubbed serials than their local content, and certain channels are surviving only because of these dubbed soaps." Siju Prabhakaran, business head of Zee Tamil, adds, "Dubbed content is not new to Tamil television. As far as our channel is concerned, we have a lot of local content. We air only a few dubbed serials."
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Loss of incomes
.
.
"So many dubbed serials are being aired on Tamil television channels these days. Of course, the channels have the right to telecast content of their choice, but our concern is that if all channels start opting for dubbed serials, production of local serials will come down, and this will definitely affect the livelihoods and thereby, the families of innumerable actors and crew, who solely rely on the income generated from shooting for serials."
.
.
.
.
For each episode of a locally shot serial, an actor (not the famous ones), and the technicians, can earn up to `5000. So, only if they get to be on the set every day, that their monthly income would be somewhat respectable. Instead, the channels have discovered that they can gain better monetary benefits from dubbed serials. We want to request them to see this issue from the humanitarian aspect, as many families rely on the income from the serials. We are planning to go on a hunger strike this weekend to express our concerns. Many TV actors and technicians will be taking part. We also want to appeal to the audience to watch only regional serials," says Thalapathy, head of Federation of Small Screen Technicians, Tamil Nadu.
.
.
.
.
We need to fight for this issue, says TV actress Neelima Rani, "Dubbed serials are nothing new. The channels have been airing them for a long time. Two years ago, also, we had raised our voices against the same issue, but no one could find a solution. Yes, there is an imminent problem due to the increase in number of dubbed serials, but we want a permanent solution."
Channels say...
.
.
Dubbed serials are visually attractive, and sleekly packaged, and that's why audiences watch it, says an industry insider. The source adds, "Mythological serials like Nagini, Seedhaiyin Raman and Jai Hanuman are very expensive to make within our budgets. Hindi serials are made on a budget of `18 lakh per episode, and so, they have lavish sets, expensive costumes, and A-list artistes. The CG works for their mythological series are done for a whopping sum. Fact is, they can afford to spend so much because their market is huge. Here, we cannot afford to spend so much on a serial. So, serials which are difficult to make locally due to budget constraints are bought, dubbed and aired," tells the source.
.
.
.
.
Dubbed soaps are aired on Polimer, Vijay TV, and Sun TV, among others. What is it that makes them opt for this? Is it the TRP or the budget? A programming head of one of the channels, on conditions of anonymity, tells us, "The reasons are very simple. Number one: it is a cost-cutting trick. When you produce a serial, you have to spend a little over a lakh per episode, whereas we buy these serials for `40,000-60,000, dub it and re-telecast it. And we have to spend only on the dubbing. Number two: the channel gets good TRPs from such soaps, as the audiences like watching these serials for their richness of production, the jewellery and costumes, and, of course, the content. So dubbed serials are, on the whole, a no-loss proposition for the channels. In fact, some of the channels like Polimer and Raj TV, are getting better TRPs for their dubbed serials than their local content, and certain channels are surviving only because of these dubbed soaps." Siju Prabhakaran, business head of Zee Tamil, adds, "Dubbed content is not new to Tamil television. As far as our channel is concerned, we have a lot of local content. We air only a few dubbed serials."
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