FEFSI told the Madras High Court that actors earn Rs 300 crore per film while technicians struggle with under Rs 3,000 a day. The wage dispute with TFPC has now escalated legally and politically.
Chennai: Today, on June 30, the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) has told the Madras High Court that while top “Rs 300 Crore for Stars, Less Than Rs 3,000 for Technicians”: FEFSI Slams Pay Gap in Madras HCfilm actors are earning up to ₹300 crore per movie, film technicians are not even getting paid Rs 3,000 a day.
FEFSI made this statement on Monday while opposing a civil case filed by the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) against the federation.
The case was heard by Justice K. Kumaresh Babu. Advocate G. Mohanakrishnan, representing FEFSI, strongly criticized the current working conditions for technicians in the Tamil film industry.
He pointed out that technicians who are the backbone of film production are being underpaid and their livelihoods are now at risk.
“Top actors are being paid Rs 300 crore per movie, but technicians are not even paid Rs 3,000 a day,”
said Mr. Mohanakrishnan, highlighting the income gap in the industry.
He further accused members of TFPC of trying to hurt the local workforce:
“Members of TFPC were also trying to snatch the livelihood of technicians in Tamil Nadu by attempting to employ people from other States to complete ongoing projects.”
In response, advocate Krishna Ravindran, who appeared for TFPC, defended the producers. He said that most members of TFPC were not big-budget corporate producers but rather small-budget filmmakers.
“TFPC was equally concerned about the technicians,”
he said, rejecting the idea that producers were trying to exploit them.
Mr. Ravindran explained that TFPC had always tried to maintain a good relationship with FEFSI. He said both groups had been entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) every three years to decide on the wages and service conditions for technicians.
He said,
“TFPC had been following the practice of entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) once in three years with FEFSI with respect to the fixation of wages for technicians and also other service conditions,”
He informed the court that “The last MoU, signed in 2022, ended on March 9, 2025.”
However, relations between the two organizations became tense when FEFSI accused TFPC of supporting a rival group of technicians. FEFSI suspected TFPC of encouraging another technicians’ body named Tamil Nadu Thiraipada Thozhilalargal Sammelanam.
Because of this suspicion, FEFSI sent out a circular on April 2, 2025, to all its 23 affiliated unions, warning them not to cooperate with TFPC members.
“FEFSI issued a communication to all its 23 affiliated associations on April 2, 2025, asking them not to cooperate with the members of TFPC.”
TFPC denied having any connection with the rival technicians’ group. Mr. Ravindran clarified,
“TFPC had nothing to do with the rival association of technicians.”
He also pointed out that after FEFSI issued the non-cooperation notice, technicians had stopped working on films associated with TFPC. This work stoppage, according to him, had caused heavy financial losses.
“Ever since FEFSI issued the non-cooperation communication to its affiliated associations, the technicians were refusing to work for the ongoing film projects, thereby causing great monetary loss to the producers.”
The situation escalated when FEFSI began working with another producers’ group, the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), further distancing itself from TFPC.
“FEFSI had now begun to work with another body titled Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA),”
said Mr. Ravindran. Because of the serious nature of the dispute, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity, M.P. Saminathan, decided to step in and hold peace talks.
“The issue had become so serious that Minister for Information and Publicity M.P. Saminathan had decided to intervene and hold talks between the parties to resolve the impasse.”
After hearing both sides, Justice Kumaresh Babu made an important observation. He stated that he could not legally force FEFSI members to work with TFPC since their last MoU had already expired.
“He could not compel the members of FEFSI to work with TFPC since the MoU had expired on March 9, 2025.”
However, the judge also added that individual producers could take legal action against FEFSI members if there were any violations of specific work agreements.
“TFPC members could always initiate legal action against individual members of FEFSI for violation of work agreements.”
He urged both sides to settle the matter through mutual dialogue instead of letting the conflict continue in court.
“It would be in the interest of both parties to resolve their differences across the table.”
He asked both lawyers to come back by Wednesday (July 2) with the names of retired High Court judges who could help mediate the issue.
“The judge asked Mr. Mohanakrishnan and Mr. Ravindran to submit by Wednesday (July 2) a couple of names of retired judges of the High Court who could be appointed as a mediator.”
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