Big stars sign film contracts on their own terms: Before marriage, Madhuri Dixit had to sign a 'no pregnancy' contract, which also has a 'no nudity' clause.

In the film industry, a contract is made between every actor and the production house, which dictates everything related to their work. This Agreement is not limited to fees. This includes their working hours, shooting conditions and also matters related to their image.

In this episode of Reel to Real we will understand how the contract between the actors and the production house is done? To fully understand the process, we spoke to actor Amar Upadhyay, advocate and media entertainment law expert Rohit Pradhan and celebrity advocate Suvijna Vidyarthi.

What items are included in the contract? 'Besides the payment, the contract also mentions what kind of make-up room facilities will be provided to the actors during the shoot. Vanity vans will be single door or double door if the shooting is outdoor. It all depends on who the actor is?'

'If you want to go somewhere outside Mumbai for shooting, the production house will facilitate transportation by car, train and flight. Which actor will get to stay in a five-star hotel and who will stay in a normal hotel is also written in the contract.'

Apart from the payment, the contract also states how much time the actor will give for shooting in 6 hours, 8 hours or 12 hours. The contract also mentions how many days and in how many installments the payment will be given. Apart from all these 'no pregnancy' clause and notice period clause are also mentioned.

Amar Upadhyay initially worked in some modeling assignments and this led to him being offered his first TV show 'Dekh Bhai Dekh'.

It is very important to read the contract before signing it – Amar Upadhyay 'It is often seen that when an actor starts his career in the industry, he is so excited that he does not read the contract properly. Amar Upadhyay has suffered the consequences. He says – The first contract I signed was for a home appliance ad. Even after the contract was over, I spoke to the production house while the ad was running. I was told this would last a lifetime. I felt something was wrong. I looked carefully at the contract again, there was no mention of lifetime. That's how I got stuck.

The contracts of the big stars are done according to their wishes Advocate and media entertainment law expert Rohit Pradhan said – There are three types of actors. of which separate contracts are made. First are new and young artists. Second, the lesser-known stars and third, the big stars, including the likes of Shahrukh and Salman Khan. Production houses are very attentive to big stars and contracts are made accordingly. Apart from this, actors should be aware of what the role is like. How many days of shooting and how will the payment be received and in how many parts?'

The agreement also includes promotional activities The agreement also includes promotional activities. For example, during the release of a film, an actor may have to go to shopping malls, podcasts or interviews for promotions. According to me, there should be a clause in the contract that the actor should be compensated if anything happens during the promotion.'

There is also a termination clause in the contract. It states if the production house wants to change the actor, the reasons and what will be the notice period. Every production house has a legal team that drafts contracts and they change from time to time.'

If there is an intimate scene during the shooting, the consent of the actor or actress is taken first. There is a clause in the contract that if an intimate scene comes up suddenly, the actor will be informed first. After this he or the actress has the right to refuse to do the scene. A production house cannot force such scenarios. This is not only wrong, but it is also a legal offence.'

There are many different methods of payment for actors There are many different payment methods for artistes in the film industry, which are determined by their work. A common method is to pay in installments, in which the entire amount is not received at once. Some money is received when the shooting starts, then the rest is received when the shooting is over and when the film is promoted. Artists can claim penalty if payment is delayed.'

'Some production houses also offer profit sharing to the actors, including a certain percentage of the profit. This is jointly decided by the actors and the production house.'

Most disputes are over working hours, working conditions and termination Celebrity lawyer Suvijna Vidyarthi said, 'The most important things in an actor's contract are hours of work, salary, termination, working conditions and damages. Most disputes are over working hours, working conditions and contract termination.'

'The contract drafting process is such that first the production house sends a draft of the contract, containing their terms. Then the actor's legal team reads it and adds the terms and together they sign the contract. Sometimes the channel has certain conditions which are not likely to be changed, but actors have to sign to work in the industry.'

'Production houses often do not comply with contractual terms. Payments are frequently delayed, GST payments are defaulted, working hours are too long, and actors are terminated without notice.

New actors face problems due to contracts Many a times small or new actors face difficulties due to contracts. Once a production house demanded Rs 72 crore from the lead actor of a TV show, surprisingly, the actor's salary was less than one lakh.

Contract rules are not followed The most surprising thing is that the lawyers of the production houses make the most one-sided contracts. If the terms of the contract are not followed, the actors can demand arbitration or file a civil case. In some cases an FIR may also be lodged. Once I complained in a case to the Human Rights Commission, which led to improvements on the sets of the production house and relief to the actors.

Actors should take help of CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) to protect their rights.

These clauses are included in the contracts of Bollywood actors