Filmy Accountant

“Bhai aish hai tere to”
“Salman Khan se mila hai kya tu?”
“Roj party karta hoga”
“Are you dating a model?”

This is how most of my friends / relatives reacted when I decided to quit my job as a CA and started working with film makers in the areas of production and distribution.
Yes, I was an outsider, with no connection whatsoever with the entertainment industry.
The only connection being my ex-employers who run a well-established consultancy business in this industry.

Initially it was all a bit confusing. Learning the terminologies, the process flows and dealing with the crazy working hours.
However, I soon realised that the most important thing that binds the people together in this line of work is Respect.
Imagine a crew of 100+ individuals working tirelessly for a vision that one man carries in the form of a script. It’s the respect for each other’s work that helps them pull off such glamorous feats.
Behind the shining lights and pretty faces, lies a group of hardworking vendors & technicians who treat every project as their own.
Before something can be judged as Hit or Flop, there lies months and years of hard work that moulds pages and pages of written words into a moving picture on the screen.

So, is the finance team equally important in this industry?
I would say, yes. Matter of fact, it holds much more importance than other industries.
I mean no offence to the financial knowledge of the people from the industry but finance is something that’s ‘scary’ for them.
They will manage to shoot under extreme conditions but will not be able to concentrate on numbers from the comfort of an air-conditioned room.
I tried educating them with the basic knowledge but somehow people just do not have the mind space for numbers and legal terminologies.

I would be lying if I said that it’s easy for finance guys in this field. Be it a CA or an on shoot cashier, it’s always taxing. Yet, there is something that keeps everyone going.
At times I felt out of place. Imagine you being dressed in formals while everyone around you is dressed comfortably? Yeah, a guy dressed in formals is the guy to talk to if you need money.

Even though it’s all glamour and fame that we see on screen, everything is about numbers.
Be it the production costs or the final collections, people with finance background play an equally important role in the industry.
There is an apparent shortage of people from the accounting and finance background in this industry.
Yes, there are certain aspects of accounting that are specific to this industry but if you can take the pains to get acquainted with it, a great career opportunity is there for the taking.

Most of the production houses have an in-house team of accountants that they rely on for the daily accounting.
However, accountants play a much vital role on the shoot.
They are an inseparable part of the film crew.
At times, people hire accountants for a particular project only. There lies a risk of lack of continuity in employment. But if you are good with your work, working as a freelance accountant can earn you more than what you could have with a permanent employment.

How does an accounts guy get into this Industry?
Internet is the best place to source for job opportunities in this field.
You can try contacting the production houses directly to check for vacancies.
Or you can contact the consultants / CA firms managing clients from the industry.

Finance is not a glamorous job, I agree. But you are as much a part of the team as an actor or a director.

I have started this blog to talk about various aspects of this industry and how someone who does not have any past background in the industry can start his / her journey.
It’s not always as glamorous as it looks from inside. But if you are up to the challenges, there’s no better place to work.

And my response to friends / relatives;
“Bhai aish hai tere to – Nahi hai. And hai toh bhi I have earned it”
“Salman Khan se mila hai kya tu? – Mila toh bhi kya? He’s not going to adopt me or something”
“Roj party karta hoga – Party karunga toh kaam tu karega?”
“Are you dating a model? – Have you seen my face?”

With that, I guess it’s time to pack up!!!!