10 lakh families involved with ‘macha’ shows hit by demonetisation

KOLKATA: Not just Tollywood stars, as many as 10 lakh families of Bengal involved with macha shows have been affected by demonetisation. These are all foot soldiers of the entertainment industry who have no clue about how to handle this huge financial crisis.
“No one organises macha shows by paying in cheque. This isn’t black money. Traditionally, all donations to host shows are done in cash. Now, all shows have got cancelled till February.The few which are going to happen will become taxable. That will be a straight 35% hike in the taxes we will have to pay,” said one of Bengal’s biggest macha show organiser Atanu Sarkar.
Stars have been inconvenienced but larger hassle is for these foot soldiers of the entertainment industry. Bengal currently has 5000 members each in various dance troupes and music bands. Each show involved employment for people who did the sound, lights and pandal. There was a thriving industry of presses that printed cards for shows and volunteer badges. Besides a booming business for transport organisers of shows, at least 100 hawkers would earn a living from each star show. After demonetisation, everyone is out of work.
Each macha show would hire eight dancers, each of who would earn Rs 1,500. In a month, they would be earning close to Rs 30,000. In just one move, all these earnings have stopped. “How do they now feed their families? For a four-hour-long musical night, two-and-a-half-long hour of performance was reserved for junior artistes. They have their own popularity and can’t go out with begging bowls to earn money. We are all doomed.” People, he speculated, will now starve to death.