Film industry body urges probe by Maharashtra government's Home, Labour, Cultural Affairs departments on studios

Mumbai: The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has urged Maharashtra government’s Home, Labour and Cultural Affairs departments to conduct a statewide audit of all studios, casting agencies, and production houses in Maharashtra to ensure they are operating with valid licenses and registrations.

The move follows last month’s Powai hostage crisis and encounter - during which an activist Rohit Arya took 19 persons, including 17 children captive. However, the Mumbai Police rescued all of them safely during an encounter in which Arya was killed.

“All studios, production houses, and casting agencies operating without valid authorization should have their licenses immediately revoked, and criminal cases (FIRs) should be filed against them,” said AICWA President Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, who wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Gupta requested the government to take cognizance of this matter and instruct the Home Department, Labour Department, and Cultural Affairs Department to jointly establish a permanent verification and licensing system for film auditions, casting agencies, and production houses across Maharashtra.

“This is not just a case of kidnapping — it is a question of the safety, dignity, and future of millions of artists and technicians who come to Mumbai with hope and dreams. Strong and immediate action is necessary to ensure that no one can ever misuse the name of the Indian film industry to commit crimes again,” he said.

According to Gupta, the incident has exposed a much deeper and widespread problem - the growing menace of fake auditions taking place not only in Mumbai but across Maharashtra and other parts of the country.

"For over a decade, such fake auditions have been operating in large numbers throughout the Indian film industry. These are being conducted not only in studios but also in bungalows, hotels, private flats, and other unregulated venues, often without the knowledge or permission of local authorities,” he said.

About the Powai incident, he said that there should be a high-level investigation and the owner of RA Studio should also be held accountable, as this incident occurred due to the studio's negligence.

“If proper verification had been conducted, this crime could have been prevented. A detailed investigation should be conducted to determine on what basis Rohit Arya was granted permission to use RA Studio and why the studio management failed to verify his credentials. All agreements, documents, and communications between Rohit Arya and RA Studio management should be thoroughly examined. Authorities must trace how Rohit Arya obtained the personal details and contact information of child artists and popular actors such as Ruchita Jadhav,” he said.

The AICWA said that mandatory government-supervised registration system should be introduced for all future auditions and casting calls. Organizers must obtain prior permission from the Cultural Affairs Department or local police authorities before conducting any audition.