Apart from Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi's film Selfie, the workers who installed the sets of Om and Baap are yet to receive their hard earned money.

Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union warns not to work with Ahmed Khan and M/s Paper Doll Entertainment. Workers have appealed even to actor Sunny Deol.

 

Mumbai: Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi starrer Hindi film Selfie may have been screened in theatres, but most of the workers who set up the sets during the shooting of this film have not yet received their money. More or less the same situation happened with Mithun Chakraborty, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Sunny Deol and also with the soon to be released film Baap and another film released Om. The producers of these films have also kept the money owed to the cinema workers till now. The setting workers associated with the Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union have appealed for help on this issue. The surprising thing is that even actor Sunny Deol was requested to help the cinema workers, but the producers are ignoring his request as well.

Union President Ashok Dubey and General Secretary Gangeshwar Lal Srivastava have said that the setting members of the Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union have set up M/s Paper Doll Entertainment's Om film from 27 January 2021 to 8 April 2021 at Film City Appu-Pappu Maidan, worked in Film City No. 8 and Filmistan Floor No. 6, the total payment of Rs. 21,57,388/- for that film has not been received by the members till date. Even after the release of Om film on 21st July 2022, the members have not yet received the payment from the production and producer side. From 3rd August 2022 to 27th October 2022, setting workers worked at Royal Pump, Golden Tobacco Company and Filmcity Welcome Maidan for M/s Paper Doll Entertainment's second film Baap, the total wages for that film was Rs 20,54,185/- which are not received by the members yet.

 

The production/producer says that we had given the contract to Prabhat Thakur, the art director of both the films. A few months ago, due to the payment balance of the setting members, the members went to the sets of the film Baap in Filmcity. Then after a lot of tussle regarding the payment, the matter went to the Aarey police station. There it was assured in front of the members that full payment will be given to the members as soon as possible from the production side. Till now M/s Paper Doll Entertainment has not given the payment to our members.

Apart from this, the members of the setting for Dharma Productions did the work of Selfie film at Filmcity No. 19 and Filmcity Helipad from 23rd September 2022 to 2nd October 2022, the members have not received the total wages of Rs. 13,55,309/-. When we talked to Dharma Production for the payment of the members, they told that they have given the contract of the entire set to M/s Paper Doll Entertainment. Even after the release of the film Selfie on 24.02.2023, neither Dharma Production nor M/s Paper Doll Entertainment has paid the members till date.

 

All the producers have been informed by the Producers Association by e-mail that the contract of the setting members' wages should not be given to anyone, only the producers will be responsible for the wages of the setting members. Film Studios Setting and Allied Mazdoor Union has sent letters to M/s Paper Doll Entertainment on 27.05.2022 / 19.10.2022 and 14.11.2022 regarding payment of dues to the members but till date there is no response have been found. On 02.05.2023, during the shooting of film Baap at Filmcity Studio, the members themselves refused to work at the location. At that time the members gave complete information about the outstanding payment to senior artist Sunny Deol ji, after seeing the matter getting worse, M/s Paper Doll Entertainment wrote on the letter head in front of the members that on May 06, 2023, a meeting will be held between the members and union representatives in the production office regarding the outstanding payment and on the same day the outstanding payment of Selfie Films of Om-Baap and Dharma Production will be given by M/s Paper Doll Entertainment.

According to Mr. Gangeshwar Lal Srivastava, when the setting members and union representatives went to the meeting on 06.05.2023, we were told by Sunita Tripathi, Executive Producer of M/s Paper Doll Entertainment, that Prabhat Thakur is the Art Director of the film Om - Baap and Selfie They were given full contract, and have given full payment to them. We have also suffered a lot of loss, we have to pay again, so M/s Paper Doll Entertainment is ready to pay the members after deducting 45%, some members have also been paid fraudulently by M/s Paper Doll Entertainment. The members present in the meeting and the representative of the union flatly refused to cut the wages of the members.

On July 14, 2021, all the producers have been instructed by the Labor Commissioner's office in writing that the payment of the workers will be given by the producer only. For the last one year, some producers are paying the workers to the contractors. Lakhs of rupees of workers have sunk like this. Crores of rupees are received every year from the film world as entertainment tax, but even after the release of the films, the workers' money sinks, we request the concerned authorities to get the dues of the members from M/s Paper Doll Entertainment as soon as possible. Help us otherwise our members will not work with producer Ahmed Khan and M/s Paper Doll Entertainment.

 

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