Mumbai:
Who's entitled to the profits of a Bollywood film? Should artists who contribute to the movie, like songwriters, for example, get a cut? That's a debate that's causing a great divide in Bollywood. And now the spotlight is on actor Aamir Khan.
The actor has resigned from a committee set up by Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal to look into a new version of the Copyright Act. Khan reportedly got into an argument with lyricist Javed Akhtar at a meeting called by Sibal on Monday, and sent his resignation to Sibal.
The committee is looking at the government's amendments to the Copyright Act- for the first time, royalties would be provided to artists like music directors and composers. The changes have been approved by the Union Cabinet, and the new Act is expected to be introduced in the next session of Parliament.
Producers say that's unfair. When a film doesn't work at the box office, they point out, nobody shares their losses, and therefore, profits too should be restricted to producers.
After his quarrel with Akhtar, Khan, who has produced some of India's most successful films, says in his resignation letter, "I feel I have a lot to contribute to the ongoing debate but I cannot make any meaningful contribution in this atmosphere. Aggression of this type leaves me feeling very disillusioned and sad and I am unable to function. Therefore I request you to accept my resignation from this committee and please appoint another person in my place. I believe that amendments to the Copyright Act are long overdue."
Khan points out that he's not opposed to giving writers more money. Sources say he reportedly agrees that scriptwriters, for example, should be paid more. However, when it comes to songwriters, he feels their contribution is not as strong in movies, because their lyrics are developed around situations created by the script.