The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which controls all the craft unions of the film industry in western India, Film Makers Combine and Association of Motion Picture and Television Programme Producers have threatened that if a solution is not found to the impasse, the industry will stop all film shootings in any part of Maharashtra.

On February 26, about 250 workers, members of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), were allegedly assaulted by BKS activists. The BKS workers were demanding that their members also be employed to work on the film set. When they were turned down, about 40 to 50 BKS members started dismantling the set, sparking off a brawl between the twogroups.

FWICE chief Pappu Varma observed that there had been a member to member dealing between the Federation and producers' bodies for the last 50 years, whereby outside workers are never let in. Although the police had arrested people from both sides, Sena men were let off on bail on the same day, but FWICE workers were denied bail until Tuesday.

Pahlaj Nihalani, president of the AMPTPP, said representatives of producers and film workers would meet Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and Cultural Affairs Minister Pramod Navalkar to urge them to save the film industry from political parties encroaching on production activities.

``Some employees of Film City must be hand in glove with the BKS. Otherwise, they would not have been allowed in such large numbers without the permission of the studio management?'' questioned Varma. ``This is nothing but hooliganism by the Shiv Sena, and unless the state government stops it within ten days, the FWICE and producers' bodies will call a Maharashtra bandh andstop technicians and workers from shooting in any part of the state,'' he said.

Political parties have been kept out of bounds from the film industry. Said Nihalani, ``Due to a fall in film production, 40 per cent of cine employees are not getting regular work. It becomes the duty of producers to provide work first to workers belonging to the Federation.'' Nihalani added that no political party would be permitted to carry out trade union activities in the film industry. ``Today it is the Shiv Sena, tomorrow, it could be any other political party. Film workers know how to safeguard their interest by maintaining cordial relationships with the producers,'' he added.

Surinder Kapoor, president of the Film Producers Guild of India, also said the BKS was attempting to disrupt the peaceful working relationship between the FWICE and producers.