[Reader-list] Pankaj's response

[Vishal Rawlley]

It seems that Pankaj has taken a LOT of time out to explain himself. Thank
you for that. His frustration is totally understandable.

However if he did commit himself in a "legal binding" to deliver 5 films, he
made the mistake himself in the first place. Specially because these were to
result from a mentoring process with near freshers. How can you give a
guarantee on that? You said you will facilitate them a chance to make THEIR
OWN film and not make their film for them. What was the agreement if the
participant could not complete the film? That Pankaj would then be sent to
jail? Or should Laha be in jail?

Pankaj is a frustrated Mentor because he put in all the effort it seems with
Laha but met with a very poor response, unpromising results, the experiment
was failing...

Sometimes it is best not to finish a piece of work. It is part of the
learning curve. Indeed when one starts to put down a vision in actuality, in
whatever medium, one makes new realisations, specially with relationships
between thought and process, the idea and its creation... Some times these
realisations are drastic and then there is a pause. These pauses can be
difficult to articulate for the affected. This can be frustrating for a
mentor. The project may not be complete but surely there has been a positive
gain, an educational benefit, because failed experiments often teach us
more. There is some dignity in not compromising your work - not finishing it
for the heck of it. Is'nt it that how it should be?

But in no way should another person be allowed to take someones work in
progress (however long it stays that way) and complete it for them. It ROBS
them of their half finished project, their unrealised idea, but still
something that belongs to them, even as an idea of hope or stasis. When you
take someones rough cut, you are taking away a lot of the effort the person
put in - as filmmaking is not easy to construct and needs a lot of things to
come together. A rough cut is a good stage to reach. I know people who have
sat for five years with their roughcuts before eventually completing the
film. So Laha HAS been ROBBED of his IDEA and partly actualized WORK.

Its Pankaj's failure if he was not being able to deliver five films and
strangely seems to have legally bound himself to that. But you do not fill
the deficit by robbing something that is not yours. If Pankaj had respect
for Laha and wasn't so patronising, he would realise that the footage and
rough cut and the story idea were all Laha's and leave it with him with his
blessings. If Pankaj could see the unfinished film as not necessarily a bad
outcome and a complete failure and had managed to convince the commissioning
agency of the same, I think the problem would have been solved. Its not
Stalin's time. I am sure Pankaj would not have been blacklisted or
penalized. Let us not disrespect anybody (even if they are first timers) by
taking their ideas and work as if they are freeware to build your own thing
with it.

Now that what has happened has happened. Laha should be given the right to
use his footage and roughcut to work on to make his own film, if it is at
all possible to have another version. PSBT can still hold the copyright to
that film, if that was the original agreement. Also Laha should be paid the
same amount the other interns received - minus of course the production
expenses he did not make. He is not is secondary school, you can't fail him.
You can only fail yourself Mr Kumar.

-Vishal


On 10/18/06, Rrivu Laha <rrivulaha at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> For some reason, the attachment i sent containing Pankaj's response didnt
> reach all yahoo groups except docuwallahs.. i am resending it. Following
> is Pankaj's response.     Rrivu, Here is my response to your mail:
>   *The fifth film mentioned in the series, **Vasudev/ Documentary/ Hindi
> is a film without the filmmaker's name. *---- yes, I completely agree. It
> was a hard decision but I had to make. I will explain. Right from the word
> go when we started the program in end February your attitude has been very
> callous and lackadaisical. I had pointed this to you after you had finished
> your shoot in end march / early April… (See letter dated 20th April)   You
> did get back to me after that mail…and a rough cut was achieved around 20
> th may. At that point you yourself were not too happy with the cut. I had
> communicated the same to you that the film needed more work. I had promised
> that I will send you a VCD within 2/3 days so that you can work on the film
> further. I did. Unfortunately it never reached you. You on your part didn't
> bother to get back to me to check what had happened with the VCD. It was
> only when I met you in mid June at FTII' Pune I was informed about this. I
> wonder why you sat quiet about a Cut which you had done. Furthermore, I was
> told that you had not worked any further on the film. Subsequently I sent
> you the RC once I reached Mumbai and you received it..   Next, I called you
> on 4th July and read out the feedback to your film from PSBT. You agreed to
> the feedback and the fact that more work was needed on the film. In this
> interim period of 15 days, no effort was made by you towards your project. I
> was informed over the phone that you would think about it at length and get
> back to me within 4 days. I had agreed to that. After that there was a very
> long unexplained silence form you…75 days to be precise. The next mail came
> from you on 18th sept. In this interim period there was no communication
> from you through phone or E mail or even a note through friends. You just
> sat happily!   A person who is passionate about the subject and wants to
> make a film on it….this kind of attitude is completely uncalled for. For me
> it smells of being irresponsible and unprofessional. It's your film,
> something which you claim to be concerned about, then what stops you from
> putting in the effort….   Just to remind you once again -- in my mail dated
> 20th April I had clearly mentioned that since I am coordinating five
> filmmakers it's not possible and it's not my job to chase people. After 4
> th July, I waited and waited…no news from you. I hope you realize that I
> am accountable to PSBT. I have deadlines to meet and the other 4 filmmakers
> cannot wait for you to be through with your siesta. Meanwhile, PSBT was
> planning their annual festival and they wanted to showcase these films. I
> had no choice but to step in…finish the film and make the Masters. I had to
> take a final call. I took the decision. It is final and irrevocable.
>             Your mail after a break of 75 days speaks volumes. To quote it
> verbatim: Mon, 18 Sep Hi Pankaj, Will get over with the dialogue exercises
> by Thursday or so... Planning to come to mumbai on friday. Would like to do
> the credit scroll and complete the vasudev film. When would it be possible
> for us to meet? waiting Rrivu I don't know your noble intentions behind
> writing this mail but for me it was outright irresponsible and to repeat
> again CALLOUS and LACKADAISICAL. There was not a word from you explaining
> your absence for 75 days. What you had thought about the project…Nothing. In
> fact it sounded like as if the cut done by you in May was the Master Cut
> (Would like to do the credit scroll and complete the vasudev film). Sorry I
> disagree with this and it is completely unacceptable to me. I do not approve
> of this attitude of taking things for granted … you think you can just write
> a mail 3-4 days in advance and you expect me to be there at your disposal ….
> You didn't have the courtesy to explain your absence… my house is not a
> public space open to people 24/7.               I was in Delhi on 18thSept and my response to your mail was: To quote it verbatim: sorry its too
> late…we talked on 4th July…u said u will get back to me.... sorry i cannot
> chase people… i finished the film... the broadcast master was done too.. and
> we screened 4 films ...excfept yours at PSBT fest in delhi...3 days ago...
> Had you been concerned and sensitive the mail should have shaken you up… cos
> its very clear that the film has been finalized and finished. There was no
> reaction from you. It didn't bother you what was the shape of the final
> film, who did it … NOTHING… As a DIRECTOR you are supposed to see through
> the project and not walk away…this is  a simple rule which you ought to
> know. More so if you are undergoing training at FTII…It didn't bother you
> why VASUDEV was singled out and not screened at the PSBT festival…it just
> didn't matter to you…This attitude of yours is very clear from the mail you
> wrote on 19th Sept: To quote it verbatim: its ok, i was occupied with
> other things, sorry. would like to have the copy of the film and the rushes.
> c u soon Rrivu.   I need not jump to what this mail implies. Its self
> explanatory. My next mail was regarding money:   pls send me an Email...
> stating that u had received Rs 4,250 as expenses
> reimbursement for research on the project "VASUDEV"
> best
> pankaj   and on 21st sept I received this mail: hereby acknowledge thst I
> recieved Rs 4,250 as expense reimbursement for research on the project
> "Vasudev" Thanking you Rrivu Laha
>
> keeping the above exchange of our correspondence its quiet clear that for
> reasons best known to you, you had washed your hands off the project. You
> disappeared without informing me. This had put me in an extremely awkward
> situation cos I am legally responsible for delivering the five films to
> PSBT. ..I had no choice but to intervene and complete the project….      I
> will now answer the other points raised in your mail:   *The commissioning
> editor, Pankaj Rishi Kumar, has sent the film for a national telecast, on
> Doordarshan, …*I am not the commissioning editor, I was a Mentor, Series
> Director  and line producer on the overall project. I also got credit for
> any specialized job I did on any of the films.  The commissioning editor is
> Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra at PSBT. Yes, as a Mentor on the project and somebody who
> is legally answerable I had agreed to the telecast. I hope you realize the
> role and responsibilities of the Mentor….I do not want to spell it out. That
> was the basic mistake you had committed from the word go…You thought that
> you were commissioned to make the film…Sorry you have misread.   The Advt.
> put by me clearly said that it was a Mentoring process where you will get to
> make your first film…  Had I been the commissioning editor, honestly, I
> would have gone further and not let the film be in the final package for
> telecast. Throughout the program I helped filmmakers achieve what they
> wanted to. I did not practice hierarchy… you may agree or disagree to
> this…but it might help you to talk to other 4 filmmakers on this project as
> to what exactly my role and involvement was on the overall project.   *has
> sent the film for a national telecast, on Doordarshan without notifying the
> filmmaker*, -------- I am not clear what you mean here. Do you mean 'That
> I did not tell you that the film has been finalized' :  this is untrue.
> Please look at mails dated 18th and 19th Sept. I had written " I finished
> the film" Regarding the telecast, I was informed by PSBT on 10th Oct'
> during the day that the telecast MIGHT be on 14th OCT. They said they
> would confirm by evening…I checked my mail around 7pm..DD had indeed
> finalized the date …I immediately forwarded the mail and SMS to all 5
> filmmakers and others involved with the project … hence your above statement
> is completely malicious   *without putting the filmmaker's name or
> biography along with the film. ---*Yes, you have been given credit for the
> work done by you…It was a hard decision for me to take but after your
> unreasonable, unprofessional attitude I as a Mentor came to a conclusion
> that you could not be credited as 'DIRECTOR' on the project. Hence that was
> not mentioned.  Mr. Rrivu, "You shall reap only what you sow"   *Whose
> film is it? filmmaker's film or the commissioning editor's? --------------
> * I want to ask you this question myself? Please let me know. With the
> effort put by you on the project do you really think you are the DIRECTOR.
> Isn't that being too pompous. Have a conscience!, reflect on your actions
> and ask yourself a pertinent question "IS THIS MY WORK" ... if you truly
> believe, that it is your film…then I suggest you take it around, screen it
> and tell this to people…you will be surprised,  people will believe you (I
> am not being sarcastic…) people will get to see your faith and conviction.
> ….I have written above and will repeat again 'you do not deserve to be given
> the credit what you are looking for.'   * The film is again scheduled  for
> telecast tonight (14th october) on DD NEWS at 10:30 pm . I am Rrivu Laha, a
> second year cinematography student from film & television Institute of
> India, Pune. I responded to the advertisements posted by Pankaj Rishi Kumar,
> KUMAR TALKIES inviting proposals from young/debut filmmakers for a series of
> 5 short films on the theme of 'CONFLICT'  (around 5 1/2 min each; fiction,
> documentary or animation) for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (www.psbt.org)
> My proposal was selected* ----ya this is true.
>
> * and I was given to make a film with a Handycamera, not much other
> equipment.* ------that is an outright lie. Its odd you have fallen so low.
> But I am not surprised. Not once before, during or after the shoot did you
> complain about the equipment ..neither did it malfunction...so what are we
> talking about….I challenge you to oragnise a screening of your rushes (at
> your cost) and let people decide if technology became an impediment on the
> shoot …
> *Since I was keen, I went ahead with my making and submitted a rough cut.
> ----------* Yes, that is true and then disappeared in thin air without
> informing anyone…
> *Although I heard that PSBT and kumar talkies approved my rough cut, no
> formal letter of communication has been made to me yet. ----------*another lie, please refer to our conversation on 4
> th July...when I read out the evaluators report from PSBT. You yourself
> agreed that work was needed on the project. Hence the cut was not final and
> you were expected to work on it further. ..Rest is history.   I as a Mentor
> never practiced the hierarchy of approving or disapproving cuts…what
> mattered was your effort and how close you could come to what you had
> planned in your mind….I wanted that from all 5 of you…and I think it worked
> beautifully, except in your case… During the entire program we were not
> looking for approvals from PSBT…PSBT has always stood by filmmakers…it has
> given the complete freedom and Independence to filmmakers what they want to
> make…The reports by their evaluators are only suggestions and are not
> binding on the filmmaker…you will be surprised to know Rrivu that 3 other
> filmmakers on the project continued to work on their project irrespective of
> PSBT evaluation report. They were driven by the dream of making their film
> better and better… I wish you had followed their example…
>
> *I had several student exercises and a shoot to attend, returning from my
> shoot yesterday I am finding the news of telecast of my short film on
> Doordarshan without my name or biography with it.* ---its sad but the
> inevitable truth…
>
> *if it is my proposal and my rough cut that has been approved by the PSBT
> and KUMAR TALKIES, how come my name is not there against my film? How come I
> am not informed of its telecast? I maybe a young and debutant filmmaker, but
> can my commissioning editor decide to telecast or publicize my film without
> my name or my knowledge? ---------*I think I have clarified this above. I
> hope you realize that this project was an experiment undertaken by PSBt and
> me. It provided an opportunity to people to make their first film…you
> clearly misconstrued this. You on the contrary…wasted an opportunity… I hope
> you realize that you denied somebody else to make their first film…You are
> currently a student at FTII, even if you did not get to make this film…you
> had ample opportunities ahead of you…on top of that when you are given an
> additional opportunity, what did you do with it? …isn't that a colossal
> waste… Instead of making the best use of an opportunity you instead took me
> and PSBT for a ride….I mean how low can you fall….
> *What are my rights? Where do I stand in this whole gamut of
> commissioning?
> Who is the commissioner? What are my rights against his?
> Who is the funder? Who has approved the telecast?  Where do I stand? ----*I think I have clarified all of this above….I disapprove of young bleeding
> artists who protest in name of artistic/individual work…where was this
> bleeding artist for those 75 days? Its odd somebody who took 75 days to
> respond to his own film,  now takes 48 hours to respond ...cos he thinks he
> is being violated… sorry, I do not agree to these aspirations of yours.
> *No payments have been made to me yet, my expenses haven't been covered
> except a sum of Rs. 4500/- against research for the film,* --- check your
> statement on 21st sept. Further when you finished your rough cut in May. I
> had reimbursed you for all expenses till that date. In June when I met you
> at FTII,  I gave you some more money as you needed some…this was above the
> expenses incurred by you….so what are you talking about….another lie!
> Nothing else…I do not owe you anything…but would appreciate if you could
> submit detailed accounts with bills and vouchers for the money given to
> you….the same should have been done months ago…you chose to set your own
> rules…   *and no notification of telecast has been given to me. I wish
> clarification before any further publicity or telecast is made of my film.
> *---- I have clarified this above.
>   I hope I have answered your queries. I do not wish to wash my dirty
> linen in public. You have every democratic right to do so… kindly circulate
> this to whosoever you want to…using mail, print, internet …or broadcast as a
> medium …I have no problem…   A word of advice…you may disagree with me.
> Please take time out and see the other 4 films. Try and share your
> experience with the other 4 filmmakers. …judge for yourself…did you put in
> enough effort? More pertinent then that, ask yourself …  "Am I being honest
> in what I am demanding" …I will leave the answers to your conscience…   I
> will send you a DVD of the 5 films…I will have to seek PSBT approval if the
> rushes could be handed over to you. Yes, I had promised them to you at the
> beginning of the project…but in this current scenario I just cant trust you
> anymore.    pankaj   ---------------------------- Thu, 20 Apr Dear Rrivu, I
> should not be writing this letter...that is the last thing I would like to
> do...but circumstances are such.....   Its been quiet sometime since I heard
> from you regarding your project....after the shoot in end march...early
> April...I was given to understand that you will log the material and come up
> with a structure or the lack of it so that we could work on it further...not
> only you don't keep in touch but I found it hard to believe that you could
> not find time to meet and clarify while I was at Ftii...u said u would turn
> up once the shoot gets over...but there was no sight of you...on 13th too I
> had asked the same question....What is the structure and your work plan?
> Your exams got over on 18th and once again I had to chase you to find
> answers to my queries...I hope you understand that I am answerable to
> PSBt...The fact that I have trusted filmmakers to do what they believe in
> and at their own pace should be taken as trust building exercise...you
> cannot go over the top.....   I wonder if you have even logged your
> footage...cos u sounded as vague when I met you at FTii...I find this very
> disconcerting....I did send you SMS messages in the last 2 days...there has
> been no response....yes, quiet possible u never got them!...but I expect you
> to keep in touch and keep me informed, rather than me chasing you.....   I
> was waiting for the camera...and got your message that i will have to wait
> for another 2 days....I hope u do not expect me to go and pick it up....the
> resources need to be shared...u cant sit on them.....I had lined up a shoot
> for 21st but had to cancel it....You had promised that you will come to
> Mumbai and discuss things but you cancelled it on your own free will.....
> once gain ...a humble request...what is the edit structure and the edit
> plan...
> hope u realise that I have to coordinate with 5 people...and you just
> cannot do things on timelines which are to your convenience....   a prompt
> response would be appreciated....   hope you have a good time in Dubai....
> best
> pankaj ==============================================
>
> ------------------------------
> Get your email and more, right on the new Yahoo.com<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42973/*http://www.yahoo.com/preview>
>
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20061018/715d55d3/attachment.html