Puri Jagannadh is cleaning house. The director has sacked his entire team — nearly 25 staff members in a move that has sent shockwaves across the industry. The decision followed a sudden halt in the shooting for his upcoming film Rogue.
And the director said the sacking was long time coming.
“Yes, I have sacked my entire team... from the office boy to everyone else who has been working here in my establishment. Most of them have been with me for years. That was the root of the problem.”
Puri says his team had become complacent and unresponsive. “They had stopped listening to my instructions. And they also stopped listening to one another. They were at loggerheads amongst themselves too.” But the decision was not made overnight.
“I had warned them about two years ago. Yes, that long back. I told them they were not functioning as a team, that my work was suffering and that if they continue this way I’d have to get rid of all of them. But they still didn’t listen to me. They continued to do their own thing. Finally, on Thursday evening I told all of them to quit.”
But contrary to industry rumours, Puri says Rogue will not be affected by the mass layoffs at this production house.
“I’ve shot one song for Rogue. I now have to replace my team, all of the 20 to 25 people in it. Hopefully, it won’t take long. In the meanwhile, I am sitting in my office all alone,” says Puri.
