Relief package has overlooked entertainment industry: Film bodies write to FM

NEW DELHI: With COVID-19 cases spiking everyday in Mumbai and film shooting unlikely to resume soon, film bodies have written to the centre, asking for its intervention in helping the industry tide through the crisis. The federation of Western India Cine Employees that represents associations covering 32 different crafts of the workers and technicians of the media and entertainment industry, wrote to Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, “The media and entertainment industry is among the highest revenue generating industries and plays an important role in the Indian economy. It is very sad that the industry has been overlooked by the government. We have sent numerous correspondences to the PM and I&B ministry for providing aid to hundreds of workers and technicians associated with the industry who are categorised as daily wage earners, but have not received any help from the government.”

BN Tiwari, President of Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees told ET that as film, TV and web show shoots are not likely start till the end of June or first week of July, and daily wage earners – spot boys, stuntmen, makeup artists, light men and more who have been out of work since lockdown are the worst hit.