Coronavirus: ‘TV industry incurs 7m loss a day’

This part of the year – just before Pahela Baishakh and two Eids – is supposed to be the busiest time for the small screen artistes. But currently, things are just the opposite due to coronavirus outbreak.

As shootings are stalled for 22 to 31 March, the television industry is facing huge losses, said industry insiders.

This Eid and Pahela Bhaishakh season, as Directors’ Guild president Salauddin Lavlu stated, is supposed to be the busiest time of the industry.

Many of the directors who are not regular in the industry also work this time, the actor and director also said adding, “The works go on etill the eleventh hour of the Eid day.”

He also said the industry normally draws an investment of Tk 400-500 million a month.

“At this time, the shooting of 40-50 TV plays is supposed to be taken place each day. The coronavirus has halted the shootings. This has incurred a loss of more than Tk 6-7 million a day,” Salauddin Lavlu added.

Bangladesh Producers’ Association president Iresh Zaker said, “The budget of TV plays estimates at least Tk 500 million per month. This is a busy time. That is why, the loss must be at least Tk 7 million a day.”

General secretary of the producers’ association Saju Muntasir also came up with the same amount of loss for the shutdown.

“Thousands of those who work daily basis in this industry will suffer the most. It seems the shootings must be kept postponed for some more days. It’s impossible to bear the loss without the government’s assistance.”

Shooting house association’s president Mizanur Rahman Khan said, “We’re in a great danger. Our shooting houses suffer a loss of more than Tk 200,000 per day. The shootings have come to a halt in 20 to 22 houses across Dhaka and so this makes losses of Tk 10,000-18,000 a day as most of these houses are rented.”

This piece, appeared in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Toriqul Islam.