Ashok Dubey and Rajesh Sapte

In July, art director Rajesh Sapte died by suicide, after accusing Rakesh Maurya — auditor of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) — of extortion and harassment. His death brought the cine unions’ hafta culture to the fore, and put the FWICE under the scanner. In the months since, FWICE chief Ashok Dubey was arrested in another extortion case, along with Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav, senior leader of the Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union (FSSAMU), Maurya and Rajesh Anubhave. In the latest development, Dubey — who procured anticipatory bail in September — is expected to resume work as the FWICE general secretary today.

Confirming the news, Birendra Nath Tiwari, president, FWICE, states, “Ashok has been granted bail. He was embroiled in a matter that he had almost no role in. Sapte hadn’t accused him. At the time of Sapte’s death, Ashok was in Benares.”

Tiwari dismisses the rumours of FWICE being restructured from the ground-up. “The only person who has been let go of is Rakesh Maurya, given the charges on him. Dubey has taken the matter to the Bombay High Court. We are often told that producers will form a separate body for the workers. It’s unimaginable how producers, who hire the workers, will form a body to safeguard them. If we fight for their rights, for better hours and better pay, how does that make us wrong?”

Many in the industry are said to be skeptical of the FWICE getting back in action, believing that the cine association used to aid the extortion culture. Tiwari retorts, “We are planning a press conference soon. We have records that producers owe almost Rs. 440 crore to workers. [This should] give people a sense of who is duping whom.”

On July 9, mid-day had reported that cine bodies had sprung into action after Pune-based art director Rajesh Sapte accused Film Studios Setting All Mazdoor Union treasurer Rakesh Mourya of harassment and died by suicide (Underbelly of showbiz comes into focus, July 9). In the two weeks since, Vishwas Nangare-Patil, joint commissioner of police (Law & Order) and Shirin S Lokhande, additional labour commissioner, have initiated a dialogue with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) to rein in the union bodies that have been found to dabble in illegal recovery of workers’ wages.

T P Aggarwal, IMPPA president, reveals that the body had a virtual meeting with Nangare-Patil and other top cops days after Sapte’s demise, followed by another discussion with Lokhande on July 12. During the meetings, it was highlighted that in violation of the Wages Act 1936, the daily-wage workers’ remuneration was being routed through the unions. It was also pointed out that these unions harassed producers to hire members from their organisation, and disrupted their shoots if the demand was not met.

“The cops told us clearly that if any threat or extortion bid is made by a union member, the producer should immediately register an FIR, following which strict action will be taken against them,” says Aggarwal, indicating that such sub-groups were formed under the umbrella brand of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). “The FWICE [spawned several] associations in a short time, with the same members being selected in key positions. They were doing this to control the producers’ bodies.”

The meetings have resulted in the IMPPA drawing up new rules, in adherence with the labour laws, that will have to be followed by filmmakers on the set. A salient change is that here on, producers will have to deposit workers’ remuneration in their respective bank accounts, thus cutting the union out of the chain. He adds, “Producers will also have to issue ID cards to those working on his set. [That way] union representatives won’t be allowed to enter the premises.”

Following art director Rajesh Sapte’s suicide, members of the Indian Film and TV Producers’ Council (IFTPC) met on Tuesday to discuss actionable measures against harassment. A member present at the meeting says, “Rajesh’s death has exposed the hafta culture. We are making strict rules regarding who can enter a set.” On July 3, before his death, the Pune-based art director made a video, accusing Rakesh Mourya, treasurer, Film Studios Setting All Mazdoor Union (FSSAMU) of harassment and extortion. It is said that Mourya threatened to disrupt Sapte’s set if he did not pay the extortion amount.

J D Majethia, chairman (TV), IFTPC, says, “Often local groups have dropped in on our sets in the name of some association or political party, and made us stop our shoot. This harassment needs to end.”

The incident has brought the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) into focus as FSSAMU falls under the cine association. Birendra Nath Tiwari, president, FWICE, is holding fort after general secretary Ashok Dubey — who was in Varanasi when his name came up in the matter — has been absconding. Tiwari says, “The allegations made against some people are yet to be proven. A police investigation is underway, and if the Federation decides on appointing new people, it will be done.” 

While Wakad police is investigating the suicide case, IFTPC members met Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and joint Police Commissioner (crime) Vishwas Nangare Patil to discuss the extortion issue. “They will have another meeting with film bodies to chalk out a plan to protect the industry from such elements,” says a source.