PUNE, June 25 -- Marathi television actor Shantanu Gangane is stepping into a role unlike any other - he's leading the charge for actors, directors and technicians struggling to be paid. Things took a turn for the worse post-pandemic as the window for payments was further extended, leaving many waiting months, sometimes over a year, with no clarity on when, or if, their dues would be cleared. Gangane, best known for his role in the TV show Paaru, is now armed with data and signatures he plans to place before state cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar. He received the data and case studies after he sent out a rallying call on social media on June 8. Gangane urged artistes to fill in a Google Form - and within a fortnight 70 artistes responded. It's the first organised attempt to advocate for creative professionals and technicians in the Marathi television industry, who unlike their colleagues in the Marathi film industry, have never had formal representation. Citing the data he's collected, Gangane says the combined outstanding dues exceed Rs.70 lakh. Actor Neha Shitole, known for her stint on Bigg Boss Marathi, said, "Earlier, payments were made 90 days after the shoot ended. Now, it's 90 days after telecast - and even that's not honoured." Also, daily wages paid to some actors have been slashed almost by half. "As a result, many actors now prefer working with Doordarshan's Sahyadri channel, where payments are made, in cash, on the same day," said Shitole, who claims she waited six months to be paid for a project she completed in December 2024. Gangane said it is not unusual to have to wait 120 to 150 days, even longer. He said he worked on three projects - two films and a television serial - with a well-known production house but is still waiting to be paid Rs.9 lakh. Art director Santosh Phutane, known for his work in Balak Palak (2012), Rege (2014), Timepass 2 (2015) and Ubuntu (2017), told Hindustan Times that his dues currently run into Rs.25 lakh. "I lead a team of 20-25 people. If I don't get paid on time, how can I pay them?" He said canny producers, to sidestep accountability, often avoid signing agreements. "And when an agreement is signed, they don't share a copy with the artistes - leaving them without legal recourse." Veteran actor Priya Berde said that when he worked on the TV serial Sindhutai Mazi Mai in 2022-2023, the producers didn't pay them for more than 90 days. "Despite repeated requests, the producers have not cleared the TDS dues for the last two years," said Berde, who heads the BJP's cultural wing at the state level. Producers say the payment cycle for artistes is typically linked to the payment cycle of television channels. This can go up to 75 days, and it usually begins only after the show is telecast. Explaining the economics of production, one producer said shooting must begin two months before a show airs. Since a producer can pay artistes only after they start receiving payments from the television channel, the window inevitably extends beyond 90 days. Since a producer typically needs to invest Rs.20-25 lakh a month, the only way around this is for the producer to get a financier. However, if a producer takes on another project simultaneously, it could further disrupt cash-flow management. This, in turn, could delay payments to artistes. Artistes point out that cash-flow management is the producers' responsibility; they should not have to pay the price for an industry that runs on credit at their expense. It's a key concern Gangane intends to raise in his meeting with Shelar. State cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar said, "So far, no one has formally approached us regarding this issue. Once they do, we will understand their concerns and are prepared to offer all possible assistance."...