NEW DELHI: An analysis by Express shows that at least one adult film, which thrives on video and single-screen release in small towns, was cleared with an ‘A’ certificate by the Censor Board between March and December 2015.
An insider working in the adult film industry said that farmhouses in outer Delhi and new bungalows in Uttar Pradesh, including Saharanpur, Meerut and Greater Noida, are emerging as exotic shooting locations for the adult film industry. He said a film costs Rs 5-6 lakh to make with 10-15 crew members, including a cameraman and director. Interviews with producers revealed that they mostly work in two categories – feature and short adult films – for online platforms like YouTube.
“It costs even less to produce seven-to-eight-minute films for YouTube. We don’t require certification from the censor board. Short films are long-term investments and solely dependent on how many online hits they get to generate advertisements. We have fixed distributors for feature films. The profit for us is Rs 9-10 lakh on an investment of Rs 5 lakh, and for distributors it goes up to Rs 30 lakh as they cater to a large number of single screens in small towns,” said a producer.
With the desi adult film industry growing at an unprecedented rate, wannabe actors from small towns end up doing miniscule roles for Rs 25,000-Rs 50,000. Unlike Bollywood, the female lead actor in an adult film is paid more than her male counterpart. The contract is very simple: she will have no objection in doing scenes discussed during script narration and she will not withdraw from the project till it is complete.
“Small-time actors are mostly from lower middle class, less educated but bitten by the acting bug. They have seen Mumbai, where it is a struggle and they have no option but to do adult films. From small towns to big screens through the censor board, sex sells.