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Thursday, January 22, 2009
Philly film scandal

One of the city's biggest casting directors, the owner of a car-rental company, the Teamsters health-and-welfare fund, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and more than 1,000 crew members and extras who worked on a recent Philly-shot Bollywood film are crying foul.

They say their final paychecks and payments -- well over $100,000 worth -- have bounced, and producers are not responding to their calls and e-mails. Extras had been told to hold the checks till Jan. 9.

Dharma Productions, one of the biggest film studios in Mumbai, contracted with Australia's Swish Group to produce the romantic thriller starring real-life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Swish's Mitu Bhowmick Lange -- who praised Philadelphia to the heavens in an interview three months ago -- is not answering her phone. 

Aggrieved film-industry people, who've been calling me yesterday and today, have been reaching out to Lori Landew and Justin Wineburgh at the Philly office of Cozen O'Connor.

Cary Stynes, a Swish rep, emailed back late Thursday:

"1. There were some banking difficulties experienced with respect to the final payments for a certain number of the crew that worked on the project over the Christmas and New Year period due to a problem with the transferring of funds from Australia to the USA. This is in the process of being rectified
2. The amount of money involved was relatively small and we have assured all crew involved that they will be paid in full shortly
3. Swish is a reputable organisation and has to date paid approx 97% of all invoices in relation to the project on time and in full
4. All amounts owing to crew will be paid in full."

Stay tuned.


 

Posted by Michael Klein @ 3:00 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
Comments   
Posted 08:18 PM, 01/22/2009
NicofTime
Glad this getting some press. Do not think the story ends here. What is our beloved State and FILM OFFICE doing to help resolve this situation? This situation has put dozens of local, hard working film professionals (myself included)in financial jeopardy- no pay plus having to absorb bad check charges and overdrafts as a result of this. Just to clarify- We're not taking Rich Actors or Producers here- these are your neighbors - the grunts, the crew, the underpaid technicians, the local businesses who are being screwed out of their paychecks. These Swish and Dharma ppl should be taken to task and made to answer for their crimes. It's in excusable and unforgivable! This also brings up the larger issue of payroll and working condition reform in out industry. I hope some ppl with influence are listening.
Posted 12:09 AM, 01/23/2009
BFR
Cary Stynes has been giving us (crew) this exact runaround story for going on 20 days. Believe me, this statement is getting very old to those of us being screwed out of our money. The fact that Swish Group (and Dharma Productions) are not issuing daily emails with updates, instructions and explanations speaks volumes in terms of their professionalism and industry savvy. Swish Group = Class A CHECK BOUNCING/CALL DODGING BUMS.
Posted 12:37 AM, 01/23/2009
Benjamin Miller
Pay up! Most of these workers you're screwing are hardworking people who do this first of all for the love of it, so they need what they work for to survive. Stop being a huge greedy company like trying to be like all the ones in the U.S.A. Stop being greedy and pay the help, greedy.
Posted 02:00 AM, 01/23/2009
NicofTime
I can second that fact that the random emails to trickle out, are simply trying to placate us. First we were asked to hold our checks dated 12/22/09 till 1/09/09... then they all bounced. Anyone presenting these rubber checks at local Bank of America branches were declined funds. DAYS after assuring us that funds had been wired to the account, the checks remained invalid. This "dine and dash" routine is unacceptable. These are tough times for everyone, but a simple and prompt communication apologizing or even explaining the situation from Swish / Dharma never came. Now, it's not only about the original amount due, it's about the fees, overdrafts and financial damage we have incurred as a result. These "Dharma Bums" are ruining things for the next out-of-town production that considers landing in Philadelphia.
Posted 05:25 AM, 01/23/2009
FJG JR
Mumbai, Saih Ali Kahn, Kareena Kapur, Mitu what? Praising to the heavens. Don't hold your breath GPFO. And I would start praying not praising, to the heavens.
Posted 05:54 PM, 01/28/2009
ATM
This is completely unfair!
6 comments
About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/michael_klein.
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