Out-of-tune Javed Akhtar faces ban from producers

Javed Akhtar is facing the music after batting for lyricists and music directors in the film industry.

The Film Federation of India (FFI) has decided to ban the lyricist from the industry after he demanded an amendment in the Copyright Act.

FFI is considered to be the apex body of the film industry in the country. Its members include filmmakers from Bollywood as well as regional cinema.

“We have advised our members not to hire Javed Akhtar till the issue gets sorted out,” TP Aggarwal, FFI president, told DNA.

Akhtar, however, maintains that his demands are justified. “The producers are entitled to their point of view, but I am afraid they are missing the whole point,” he said.

Akhtar has been demanding an amendment in the copyright laws to ensure music directors and lyricists get a share in the profits earned on their work.

The bill, if passed, would mean distributing the rights among the music team and the producer. At present, producers own the copyright for the work and are the sole recipients of the profits earned. “The bill is likely to be passed in February next year,” Akhtar said.

A recent report tabled by the parliamentary standing committee in the Rajya Sabha recommended that music directors and lyricists must retain rights over their work.

Industry sources explained that the copyright of a film’s music includes recording and performing rights. The producer, who gets 50% of the overall profits earned from the film, also gets 25% as recording rights on the music.

Akhtar has demanded that the lyricist and the music director get 12.5% each from the remaining 25%.

However, producers are not willing to accept the proposal and have threatened to go on a strike early next year. “When a film doesn’t work at the box office, nobody shares the filmmakers’ losses. So, the profits should also be restricted to the producers,” said filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, executive member of the Indian Motion Pictures’ Producers’ Association, which is affiliated to FFI.