The FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) recently made a huge announcement of a housing plan for film industry workers, which allows them to make homes for themselves at subsidized prices.
The news was dropped at a recent event organised by office-bearers, including FWICE President B.N. Tiwari, General Secretary of Film Studio Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union and Treasurer of FWICE Gangeshwar Srivastav, and General Secretary of FWICE and President of AIFEC Ashok Dubey.
Srivastav elaborated at the event that under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna, the organization is building 50,000 houses in Shelu near Karjat in Maharashtra, “For those member workers of the film industry who don’t have a home. The members will be able to buy homes at prices much lower than the market rates.”
Many filmmakers who attended the event showed their support, including Ram Lakhan filmmaker Subash Ghai. Publicly praising the initiative, he said, “The entire team of the film federation has come together because we want to support all our workers. Especially those workers who have given more than 40-50 years of service to this industry, we need to think about their future as well. The Federation has taken this step which is indeed praise-worthy.”
Ghai averred that this scheme is the solution for ‘Roti, kapada, aur makaan’ (bread, cloth, and home), adding that he looks forward to more Bollywood bigwigs getting behind the initiative.
“I also hope all the affluent and successful stars come forward and support this initiative. There are about five lakh workers in the industry. I appreciate FWICE’s efforts to provide affordable houses, mobile ambulance, and insurance to them. With the start of this initiative, the entire film industry will wake up and come together to support such initiatives,” he said.
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has also echoed Ghai’s sentiments. “It’s a great initiative and I am very happy. We will talk to many actors also to support this initiative. I am part of it and I feel that many more people from the industry should come forward and help this initiative,” he said.
Additionally, the Fashion director took a moment to acknowledge that many stars support the technicians without making a fuss. “There are some stars who provide support to these technicians but don’t make a big noise about it. We would like them to join hands with such huge initiative that has come to be,” he urged.
Meanwhile, director David Dhawan said, “It’s time that successful artists and technicians, those who have earned from this industry, contribute towards this initiative. The workers deserve it. This initiative taken by the Federation is of course for a genuine cause. It’s time we all give back a token of appreciation to the industry workers by supporting this initiative.”
Other celebrities in attendance at the event include comedian Kapil Sharma and music composer Salim Merchant, among others. They launched the mobile cardiac ambulance that will go to film shoots and do medical checkups of workers.
