The ugly face of extortion money that has to be paid to local politicians, police and other people on the ground is marring the scenic State, otherwise a paradise, with its idyllic villages, unique architecture and coconut groves.
The All Goa line Producers’ Association (AGlPA) has hit out at the ‘protection money’ they have to pay to all and sundry.
“This is in excess of the fees we pay to the State Government for shooting-related permissions,” Borkar said giving an instance where he had to give up to Rs 50,000 “donation” to a local city councillor in the name of the Campal Residents’ Association where the film shoot was taking place.
Borkar said it’s not just local councillors, and local politicians but police, local gangs and other opportunists who have to be paid off to keep the shoots smooth.
“In Calangute or the beach nearby, it’s not just the police; we have to pay protection money to the panchayat and even local gangs. Same is the case with other areas like Morjim, where politician after politician and even journalists harass us,” a line producer, who did not wish to be quoted said.
The issue between line producers and extortion came in the open after a prominent city doctor was roughed up by bouncers as they were maintaining a cordon around the site of filming for Abbas Tyrewala’s upcoming film Mango.
The AGlPA has since apologised to Dr Rebello. The incident coming at a time when the State is seeking to promote itself as a film shooting destination is likely to hurt the State’s image badly.
The Campal area, which is a heritage protected area has many Goan-styled houses and is sought after for film shoots, especially since the roads therein do not carry much traffic.
local ‘line producers’ are used by film production houses to liaison with local authorities and get the permissions as well as logistics sorted out before the crew and film shooting equipment worth crores lands on-site.
Bollywood films like Shyam Benegal’s Trikal, Amitabh Bachchan-starring Pukar Rishi Kapoor-starring Saagar have been shot in Goa, but the effort now was to seriously monetise the State’s popularity as a global tourism destination.
In 2011, there was a total of 600 film shoots in Goa and with the nodal agency Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) charging Rs 10,000 per day for shooting rights.
Borkar says that film shooting coming down in the State brings in revenue especially since: “Almost every shoot has a crew of several hundred, including artistes, helpers, technicians and other crew. They too spend money when they land here, besides bringing business for local hotels,” Borkar explained.
The Campal Residents Association (CRA), an unregistered body, in whose name the money has been collected has sought an apology from the line producers for calling them extortionists.
“The donations are used for the upkeep and beautification of facades of heritage houses in Campal. We find this fair,” Pinto says.
“We have not invited them here to film. It is they who want to derive benefits from the facades of our houses in this heritage area that are maintained by the residents themselves who receive no help whatsoever from the Government,” Pinto claims, saying beautifying their houses benefits the backdrops of films.
But the Mayor of Panjim Surendra Furtado said that no association was given authority to collect money and if that he would stop sending municipality sweepers if they can take care of it themselves.
“If they are charging money then the municipal corporation will stop sending sweepers to the area,” Furtado said.
“This has to be sorted out. We need to know who is taking money and chai pani for these shoots. Until the city corporation gets to the bottom of this and streamline procedures, we have decided to ban film shooting here,” Furtado said.