A unanimous decision to issue a press release was taken jointly in a virtual zoom meeting held on 22nd June, 2020 at 12 noon by Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) & Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA)

Meeting was attended by:

 Shri B N Tiwari President - FWICE

Shri Gangeshwar Srivastav Treasurer – FWICE

 Shri Manoj Joshi Sr Vice President – CINTAA

 Shri Amit Behl Sr Joint Secretary – CINTAA

 Ms Rajeshwari Sachdev Joint Secretary - CINTAA

Shri Rashid Mehta EC Member – CINTAA

 Shri Sanjay Bhatia EC Member – CINTAA

 Shri Ayub Khan EC Member – CINTAA

The decision to come out with a press release had to be taken as many of the grievances on working conditions/ payment terms/ duty hours which were submitted to the Producers association through series of joint meetings and communications earlier did not result in any positive reverts from them. There is still uncertainty looming large.

Though we have always assured our best support to them they have not taken our concurrence on many issues resulting in lack of clarity and confusions. Many producers are taking unilateral steps of calling our members for shoot, this has only created a feeling of unrest and misguidance amongst the members, even before resumptions of shoot.

 FWICE and CINTAA which has scores of members enrolled in the cadres of Actors, Technicians & Workers need immediate changes implemented in the working system/payment terms before any resumption of shoots.

Post COVID-19 the working system would change for all with probable health challenges and drop in immunity levels hence it is all the more important that all our concerns are suitably addressed.

It is highly regretted to note that even after the strict directives issued by the I & B ministry to all the producers to clear the outstanding dues of the actors, workers and technicians pending prior to the announcement of the lockdown by the Government amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Producers have still not cleared the outstanding dues of our members. All the outstanding dues of our members should be cleared prior to the resumption of the shootings.

Shift hours. Strictly to be 8 hours per day.

#Payments to daily paid actors/ technicians/ workers has to be settledv end of the day.

#All contractual employees have to be paid in 30 days.

#Conveyance has to be settled end of the dayv 

₹Mandatory weekly holidayv

₹Adherence to stringent health and safety protocols as per directives ofv the Government.

#Insurance: Healthv & Life Insurance with Covid-19 specific coverage. We demand a 50-lac cover for actors / workers /technicians who succumb to death.

#No pay cuts/discounts will be agreed by Actors/ workers /techniciansv post resuming to work. 

#No actor/ technicians/ workers would be replaced for refusing givingv discounts on their emoluments. 

#Deployment of a well-equipped ambulance along with a Paramedicalv staff (Nurse) and a Doctor at the location

#All the above-mentioned issues have to be resolved first so that there is complete clarity to all, be it actors/ workers or technicians. No one can risk the lives of human resources and for us at FWICE AND CINTAA certainly not

Shri B N Tiwari-Presiden FWICE

Shri Vikram Gokhle-Honorary President CINTAA

Shri Ashok Dubey -Gen. Secretary FWICE

Shri Manoj Joshi  -Honorary Sr. Vice-President  CINTAA

Shri Gangeshwar Srivastav-Treasurer FWICE

Shri Darshan Jariwalla-Honorary Vice President CINTAA

Shri Amit Behl -Honorary Sr. Jt Secretary & Chairman -Outreach Committee CINTAA

Ms. Rajeshwari Sachdev - Honorary Joint Secretary CINTAA

Shri Abhay Bhargava - Honorary Treasurer- CINTAA

Siddhant Bhosle, May You Be In A League Of Your Own: Amitabh Bachchan

When Siddhant Bhosle, Sudesh Bhosale's son, launched his first original independent song 'Din Aur Raatein' and sent the song to Amitabh Bachchan for his blessings, Sr. Bachchan made a very sweet gesture! He immediately tweeted the song and launched it for the young man. It is also a known fact that Sudesh Bhosale has always been the voice of Amitabh Bachchan, and an unbeatable one at that!

The Superstar took to Twitter and wrote - “Sung, composed, written & arranged by Siddhant Bhosle, son of Sudesh Bhosale, who became my singing voice in my films .. My wishes and love .. may you be in a league of your own!” he blessed. Amitabh Bachchan, whose association has been with Sudesh Bhosale since Ajooba days has seen Siddhant grow up from a child to a fine young man.

“The tweet by Amitabh sir was a big surprise. Dad and I wanted him to be the first person to listen to the song. His feedback is a great learning. But I honestly did not expect him to share it with the world. This was the biggest release for my maiden original song I could ever ask for!”

The production of the song was an experience that the young talent was not accustomed to, due to the COVID-19 lockdown! “Usually, we have a huge team on set during the shoots, however, the lockdown forced us to creatively make things work with what we had. The video has been shot completely at home by my sister Shruti Bhosle. We had to come up with creative ways to coordinate on video call with our supervising DOP Tuhin Mukherjee and Director-Editor Amitesh Mukherjee,” reveals Siddhant Bhosle.

Like anyone else, Siddhant Bhosle was affected by the loneliness of lockdown. “I, too, yearned for comfort, for people, spaces and memories. As a creative person, I took these emotions and channelised them through my songwriting.”

In an attempt to capture these emotions to depict the present as a fleeting moment, something that will surely pass, Siddhant Bhosle tried and motivated the listeners to not lose the ability to fight during difficult times. At the same time, Din Aur Raatein is timeless as it draws a picture of reality with captivating vocals and melody.

Veteran playback singer Sudesh Bhosale is visibly touched by Amitabh Bachchan's familial gesture. “Amit Ji has watched Siddhant grow from a child to a young adult! When he shared the song with his blessings, it regenerated my faith that my son will go a  long way!”

Sung, composed, written and arranged by Siddhant Bhosle, 'Din Aur Raatein' is a blend of International Pop with Indian melodies.

Song Link:
https://youtu.be/2lezMg99v4w

King Dhananjay Datar of Dubai sends Indians home, a la Sonu Sood!

King Dhananjay Datar of Dubai sends Indians home, a la Sonu Sood!

With the UAE being hit by the massive COVID-19 pandemic, Indian migrants in the UAE are queuing up outside the Indian consulate to try and get back to their motherland - India. Thousands of blue- and white-collar workers are unable to deal with the financial crisis and medical emergencies arising due to COVID-19. "I haven't been paid for the last two months," says one worker. "I need money to buy a ticket to get back home," says another. "My wife is thirty-two weeks pregnant and we cannot afford to get the child delivered in the UAE. I have no job and no money. It's a very difficult situation for me."

These Indian expatriates have found a helping hand in entrepreneur Dr. Dhananjay Datar from Maharashtra, India. The man behind the Al-Adil group of companies in the UAE has sponsored the travel of more than 3000 Indians to India thus far besides their COVID-19 tests, medical emergencies and food needs wherever necessary.  And as we speak, is working on sending the  next set of Indians home.

An award-winning entrepreneur, Datar is known for his brand association with actors like Vidya Balan, Karishma Kapoor, Sunny Leone, Juhi Chawla, Shilpa Shetty and Madhuri Dixit among many others. In fact, his autobiography was launched two years ago by Madhuri. This time around, Datar is being touted as his actions make him no less than a star himself. But the earthy entrepreneur dismisses the accolades with his statement. “It is one of the largest emergency evacuations and all hands need to be on deck. As a fellow Indian, I am simply doing what I can.”

“This effort of Datar comes as a breath of fresh air in these times of masked existence,” avers H.E. Vipul, Consulate General of India in Dubai, U.A.E. “We have already sent eleven flights to India. Five of them have repatriated over 3000 Indians. I am glad that Dhananjay Datar of Al-Adil group came forward to sponsor the air tickets and COVID-19 tests. Such support is always welcome.”

Adds Datar, “I understand that many individuals who have lost their jobs are unable to make use of this initiative to go to their hometown since they do not have the money required. I will be coordinating with the approved bodies to extend a helping hand to those in need. All necessary guidelines in connection with this will be strictly followed. I am thankful to those who are involved in the repatriation process."

Next on the cards are 13-14 flights that would bring more expats back home. While on Indian grounds, an actor like Sonu Sood has made migrants feel safe and respected, Datar seems to  be performing a similar laudable effort. He has not just helped medical and travel for the next 50 poor workers from Telangana, but got them.monthly ration down to the last bit of cooking oil. "They are our fellow Indians in a foreign country. They need our support," he says simply. "As flights will start to Goa, Lucknow, Jaipur and Chandigarh, we will send people home

 Maharashtra will take some time but before anyone leaves this soil, we ensure their COVID19 test is done so that the government has least stress back home abd they can be on home quarantine," he adds.

 Incidentally, Al-Adil Trading LLC is one of the leading manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of premium Indian pulses, spices, foodstuffs, groceries, branded items and assorted non-food items, has 34 outlets in the GCC and India. His group employs 500 employees directly and 370 in the UAE and India, essentially gives job opportunities to Indians, aids farmers by eliminating the process of middlemen in terms of procurement.

Minister Aslam Sheikh distributes 2,500 Dry Ration kits to the Dabbawallahs of Mumbai City. The Maha Vikas Aghadi Government backs and supports the Dabbawallahs plight wholeheartedly.

Hon. Guardian Minister Shri.Aslam Shaikh distributed 2,500 Dry Ration Kits to the Iconic Dabbawallahs on Monday. The event was organized at the P-North Divisional Office of Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Anusha Srinivasan Iyer of Make Earth Green Again Mega Foundation  brought the Dabbawallah's pleas to the notice of the Hon. Minister. Senior officials of the Municipal Corporation were present at the distribution.

Mr. Ramdas Karonde, President of Mumbai Dabbawallah Association, explained to Mr. Aslam Shaikh the financial crisis faced by them due to the lockdown. Vinod Shete, spokesperson of the association, requested an Aid of Rs. 2,000 per person per month. The Hon. Minister patiently listened to their grievances and asked for an immediate punchnama to help those whose houses were ravaged by the the recent Nisarg cyclone.

Mr. Shaikh said,  "The Dabbawallahs are the lifeline of working Mumbai. They have been  serving the metro for over 130 years and feed us with love and grace." He promised to  arrange rations for Dabbawallahs and their families till the end of the lockdown. He  promised to raise the issues of Dabbawallahs in the forthcoming Cabinet Meeting as well. "It took Hon.Minister Aslam Shaikhji a day to arrange for the ration. The city is privileged and grateful to have such a Guardian Minister who reached out immediately and ensured help, giving a patient ear to the dabbawallahs," reiterated Anusha Iyer.