If there are no spot boys, the pace of the film set will come to a halt.
Everything shines in the light of spot light, except that light which itself remains in darkness and gives light to everything else. Such is the life of spot boys of the film industry. These spot boys, who work on the sets of films, web series and TV serials, take care of the needs of the entire unit, but no one ever talks about them. Spot Boy’s name appears last in the end credit list of the film. Despite many difficulties, spot boys try to do their work with full honesty. Today we are going to tell you the stories of some such spot boys. So let’s meet Shashi Gawde, Parshuram, Sunil Rathod and Sanu Singh.
Shashi Gawde
Shashi Gawde, living in Mumbai, has been working as a spot boy for the last 15 years. The need for money forced him to do this work. Shashi says that even after 15 years, to feed his family, he has to work as hard as he used to do in his early days. Shashi lives in Mumbai with his wife, parents, and brother-sister-in-law. If he works with a film unit, he gets Rs 60 to 70 thousand per month. But when he works for a whole month on the sets of a web series, he earns around Rs 30 thousand. Shashi says that there is no future in the work of spot boy, his life remains limited there and hence he will not tell anyone that he should come in the line (field) of spot boy.
During this, Shashi also said that we see many videos on YouTube where people claim that one can earn thousands of rupees by becoming a spot boy and many children come to Mumbai after watching such videos. He wants to say that people should not take decisions about their lives after watching the video. Recently Shashi Gawde famous film Animal Also worked as a spot on the sets of. While sharing the experience of shooting this film, he praised Rashmika and Ranbir. He says that there are very few actors like Ranbir and Rashmika, who treat every person in the unit with respect.
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Parashuram
Parshuram, who lived in Karnataka, was very fond of the Hindi film industry. So in 2001 he came to Mumbai to join his friend. His dream was to work close to Bollywood stars. But he had to work very hard to convert this dream into reality. Parshuram says that first of all I got a card made by paying Rs 6500, today I have to spend Rs 50 thousand for that card. Because of this card, I was allowed to work, but I had to find work myself. Even today I find my own work and only then I earn. After one shooting schedule ends, there is no guarantee as to when the next work will begin.
story of spot boys
Giving detailed information about the work of spot boys, Parashuram said, “There is a team of 12 to 15 spot boys on the set of a film. But you will find 5 to 6 spot boys on web series and TV sets. These spot boys are entrusted with the responsibility of serving tea, coffee, taking care of everything from the chairs to the costumes on the set. The most difficult thing for us is outdoor shooting. During outdoor shooting, it is quite challenging to go to the location and load or unload the trunk.” In fact, even today, luggage is kept in big aluminum trunks at the shooting locations. The responsibility of these trunks is given to the spotboy.
Parashuram says that we reach every set 2 hours before and our pack-up happens one hour after the shooting ends. We do all the work with a smile, but if we get the help of a loader in lifting the box, our life can become easier. Although Parashuram’s experience with all the actors has been very good till now, but his complaint is that sometimes he has to listen to scolding over tea. He says that people do not understand that it takes at least 15 minutes to make tea. But no one wants to understand this and because of this he has been taunted many times.
In the next 5 years, Parashuram wants to leave the job of spotboy and go into film production. At 22, he has learned well what the work of production is and hence he wants to move ahead in his life also. Parshuram, who has done spot work in many films from ‘Gadar 2’ to ‘Vikram Vedha’, says that Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are two such actors who treat spot boys with love. Parashuram says that whenever we have gone to his vanity and if he is present there, be it Amitabh sir or Salman, he talks to us with respect. It feels very good to see this.
Sunil Rathod
Sunil Rathod likes his work. Sunil has worked as a spotboy for many films like ‘Son of Sardar’, ‘Dishoom’, ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’. Sunil has no complaints against the actors. But he says that the same respect that the art team, lightman and make-up team get on a set, we should also get the same respect. Because we also work on the sets like all of them. When a film is shot, the spot boy is also a part of the team. If we feed people at 1 o’clock, we ourselves eat at 3 o’clock. After feeding the actors and the production team, only when the entire unit is full, we sit down to eat.
Giving an example of how the spotboy has to manage things, Sunil Rathod said that I remember, we were shooting in a village and suddenly the people of the village came there to have food. When we shoot at an unknown place, we cannot refuse anyone on our face. The production people were asking us why you did not refuse food. And we were confused as to how to refuse such people. But since then we learned one thing that whenever we shoot in the village, we keep a bouncer with us.
Shanu Singh
50 year old Shanu Singh, who came to Mumbai 32 years ago from Uttar Pradesh, was performing the responsibility of spot boy for the last 30 years. He has worked on the sets of many films and serials. But due to ill health for some time now, he has taken a break from his work. He said that even if people consider the work of a spotboy as light. But no one can insult him nor can anyone raise a hand on him. If someone misbehaves with them, they can file a complaint with the Film Mazdoor Union.
Further, Shanu Singh said that the union makes a circular every two years to increase the money of spot boys. The spot boy’s salary is increased accordingly. But whether their money should come to the union and then be transferred to their account or the money should be given to them directly, the decision is taken by the production side.
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