On May 16, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) called an emergency meeting to discuss the way forward after actor Kamal Haasan issued an open letter, urging the Indian film industry to cut excess spending and rethink expensive foreign shoots amid the economic turmoil brought on by the West Asia crisis. When mid-day reached out to AICWA Chairman Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, he revealed that the body will soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking reduction of international shoots to protect employment within the Indian film industry.
“Today, almost 30 per cent of our films are being shot outside India. When productions move abroad, Indian workers, technicians, junior artistes, spot boys, and daily wage earners lose work opportunities. At a time of economic uncertainty, we have to strengthen our own ecosystem first,” said Gupta.
‘Awarapan 2’ is currently being shot in Thailand, and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘King’ in South Africa
He pointed out that the industry has yet to recover from the financial damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of the West Asia conflict on fuel prices has only added to the strain. Backing Haasan’s belief that the daily wage workers shouldn’t be hit by the cost correction measures, Gupta added, “Economic correction cannot begin with workers. Daily wage earners should not become the first targets whenever the industry faces pressure.” He also slammed the practice of actors having oversized entourage.