The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) on Tuesday strongly condemned the repeated safety violations that took place during the shooting of Aditya Dhar’s Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge, aka Dhurandhar 2. This comes after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) blacklisted members of Aditya’s production house, B62 Studios, over repeated violations.
AICWA calls out safety violations on Dhurandhar 2 set
The AICWA released a press note addressed by Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, President of AICWA, in which they condemned the ‘alarming safety violations’ on the shooting of Dhurandhar 2 by Aditya and his production house. “The life, safety, and dignity of film industry workers, technicians, and labourers cannot be compromised under any circumstances,” they wrote.
Mentioning that AICWA has been raising concerns about production houses flouting mandatory safety norms, legal regulations and basic human protection, they added, “Due to such gross negligence, every year several workers lose their lives, while many others suffer severe injuries caused by fires, electric shocks, and collapsing or unsafe sets. Tragic incidents at Goregaon Filmcity and other studios, where workers lost their lives due to fire and unsafe working conditions, remain painful reminders of the ongoing danger faced by film workers.”
Submitted complaints, stands by BMC
The press note also states that the cine workers’ organisation has submitted complaints to the Chief Minister and the BMC, demanding strict enforcement of the rules and strong legal action against violators. “Unfortunately, timely and strict action is rarely taken, which emboldens negligent production houses to continue risking the lives of innocent workers,” they wrote.
The AICWA also announced that they stand by the action taken by BMC against B62 Studios, writing, “When safety norms are ignored, thousands of workers are put in danger. In Mumbai alone, hundreds of shootings take place daily, and a majority of production houses fail to properly follow mandatory legal and safety requirements.”
BMC blacklists members working on Dhurandhar: The Revenge
On Monday, IE reported that members of B62 Studios have been blacklisted by the BMC from seeking shooting permissions in Mumbai for Dhurandhar 2. The civic body reportedly flagged ‘repeated violations’ of safety norms and conditions. Komal Pokhriyal, Nasir Khan and B62 production house can no longer apply for shoot permissions with the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development CL website.
The civic body has also proposed a monetary penalty of ₹1 lakh, alleging that filming took place on a building terrace and that two generator vans were operated without requisite approvals. Additionally, officials have recommended the forfeiture of a ₹25,000 deposit submitted earlier. Dhurandhar 2, starring Ranveer Singh, Sara Arjun, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and others, is slated to hit screens on March 19.
