Movie extras, what will they do?

The normal buzz and bustle on the premises of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) has been replaced with silence. A few 'extras' sit here and there, looking for work. Everything is uncertain and they don't know what to do.

A visit to BFDC on Thursday revealed filming on only a few floors with people few and far between. The few persons hanging around, young and old, were mostly 'extras'. Most people stayed away from the film sets in fear of coronavirus, but these part-time artistes needed work. Most filming has shut down, but they still have turned up as they depend on their daily earnings.

Shapla Khatun has worked as an extra on film sets for 20 years now. She hasn't been well since Thursday. She has fever and a sore throat, but still waits at BFDC in hope of getting some work. Why was she unwell? There was only a little rice in the house so she had eaten coconut and puffed rice. The coconut was not fresh and perhaps that was why she was feeling ill. She was worried about how would she act now. Ratna and Shefali, the other extras like Shapla, were worried too. With no work, how would they survive?

Shapla said, "A film was to be made on Bangabandhu and I was to work in that for 40 days, after which I would leave the media. But now there is now work and I don't know what to do. This corona has robbed us of all work."

Another extra joined in, "I have been acting for 22 years, but work has been steadily decreasing. I don't think there will be work anymore."

As it is, roles for extras have been cut down drastically. Now coronavirus has held up filming. They are all worried. Shefali said, "There is no one to look after us extras. I don't even want to leave acting, but how do we survive? I don't even know any other work."

The 'extras' enlisted with BFDC have been getting less and less work. Their characters and roles have been steadily dropped from films. And now coronavirus seems to be dealing a final blow their careers.