As Aditya Dhar prepares for the release of Dhurandhar 2, now just a month away, the highly anticipated sequel has been hit by controversy. On Monday, B62 Studios, the production house headed by Dhar, was blacklisted from obtaining shooting permissions in Mumbai. Following this, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) strongly condemned the repeated and alarming safety violations reported on the film’s shooting set.
The film body said the life, safety, and dignity of film industry workers, technicians, and labourers cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
In a statement, the AICWA said, “For years the organisation has consistently raised serious concerns that many production houses continue to ignore mandatory safety norms, legal regulations, and basic human protection on shooting sets. Due to such gross negligence, every year several workers lose their lives, while many others suffer severe injuries caused by fires, electric shocks, and collapsing or unsafe sets. Tragic incidents at Goregaon Filmcity and other studios, where workers lost their lives due to fire and unsafe working conditions, remain painful reminders of the ongoing danger faced by film workers.”
AICWA has repeatedly submitted written complaints to the Honourable Chief Minister of the State and the Honourable Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), demanding strict enforcement of safety regulations and strong legal action against production houses violating the law.
Addressing the matter, the cine body added, “AICWA firmly supports the action taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against B62 Studios. Such strict measures are necessary because no production house is above the law. When safety norms are ignored, thousands of workers are put in danger. In Mumbai alone, hundreds of shootings take place daily, and a majority of production houses fail to properly follow mandatory legal and safety requirements.”
“As President of AICWA, Suresh Shyamlal Gupta has repeatedly urged authorities to conduct regular and strict inspections of every shooting set and to take the strongest possible action wherever negligence is found. The lives of workers cannot be treated as expendable. Accountability must be fixed, and those responsible for endangering workers must face serious legal consequences,” the note concluded.
As reported by India Today, the BMC first received a complaint from a local resident regarding the use of fire torches during the shoot. The civic body stated that the team of Dhurandhar: The Revenge was “verbally warned on site” against continuing the use of fire torches until the shoot concluded. Subsequently, the police confiscated five fire torches from the location.
Following the incident, BMC’s A-ward maintenance staff prepared and submitted a proposal note to the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zone 1) on Saturday, recommending:
- Forfeiture of the Rs 25,000 security deposit held on the online permission platform.
- Blacklist of applicants Komal Pokhariyal and Nasir Khan, who had signed an undertaking not to use fire during the shoot, along with B62 Productions in connection with the applicants.
- A Rs 1 lakh penalty for violation of the undertaking.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is being prepared for a grand release on March 19. The film will clash with Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.
