Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam was on Sunday prevented from meeting Amitabh Bachchan – when the former was to plead the Bollywood superstar to support the strike of 1.5-lakh cine workers
On Sunday morning, cops from Mumbai police came knocking to his doors and prevented him from going out. Later he was taken to the Versova police station, where he was detained and released around 6.30 PM.
On Saturday, Nirupam, the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), had said in a message said: “Tomorrow, Sunday, 27 August, 2017, 2 PM, Mumbai Congress President will meet Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan at his residence to request him to support backstage cine artists and junior film artists and request him not to participate in any kind of shooting. Meeting at Jalsa
“The BJP is conspiring to break the strike,” Nirupam told Deccan Herald on Sunday evening after he was released from the police station. He said that Bachchan is continuing his shooting of Kaun Badega Crorepati season nine at the Filmcity. “It is shocking, however, I will continue to protest,” he said.
Nirupam, a former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP, said that Bachchan might have got the news of his wanting to meet and would have “called up New Delhi”, which might have forced him to detain him. “A majority of the workers are on strike, but they are being forced and threatened and only a few of them are working….the BJP is backing the producers and ignoring the rights of film workers,” he said.
Nearly 1.5 lakh cine workers led by Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) went on indefinite strike from 14-15 August midnight demanding eight-hour shifts and other things like health insurance, job security. The strike has support of 22 associations.
The spotboys, junior artistes, technicians, cameramen, art-directors, set designers, style photographers, fight masters, make up persons, dress suppliers besides others.
The FWICE had intimated associations like the Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Western Indian Film Producers’ Association (WIFPA) and The Film and Television Producers Guild of India Ltd. The Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, popularly known as the Filmcity at Goregaon had already been informed to cancel all shoots.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks