MUMBAI: In response to the shutdown of film and TV production in the country since last month, which left thousands of crew and cast without jobs, streaming giant Netflix has announced a contribution of  $1 mn (approximately INR 7.5 crore) to the Producers Guild of India (PGI) Relief Fund.  

The fund, set up last month by PGI, will provide emergency short-term relief to thousands of daily wage earners in the Indian creative community, who have been directly impacted by the closure of productions in the country due to the pandemic. This will include workers in lighting, and setting and electricians, carpenters and spot boys, many of whom are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project basis.

In addition to the $1 mn contribution to the relief fund, Netflix has also committed up to four weeks of pay for all core below-the-line crew who were scheduled to work on Netflix’s productions in India. 

Producers Guild of India President Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “In the past month with all productions grinding to a halt, thousands of daily wage earners associated with the Indian film and TV industry have seen their livelihoods disappear overnight. I am proud of and thankful to the entire fraternity for contributing to the fund we have created to support our colleagues at this difficult time. We value Netflix’s generous commitment to this fund and their resolve to help those who need our help the most.”

A Netflix spokesperson said, “We’re proud to work with the Producers Guild of India to support the hardest hit workers in TV and film production - from electricians to carpenters, hair and makeup artists to spot boys. Crews in India have always been vital to Netflix’s success and now we want to do our part and help those who most need support in these unprecedented times.” 

In March 2020, Netflix announced a $100 million fund to help with hardship in the creative community. The majority of this fund will go to support the hardest hit workers on Netflix’s own productions globally. To support the wider film and TV industry, $15 million of this $100 mn global fund will go to non-profits providing emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in the countries where Netflix has a large production base. The $1 mn contribution to the Producers Guild of India Relief Fund is part of this $15 mn fund.

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos while announcing the $100 mn relief fund, said, “What’s happening is unprecedented. We are only as strong as the people we work with and Netflix is fortunate to be able to help those hardest hit in our industry through this challenging time”.