The face-off between India’s TV producers and the mother association of all the trade and craft bodies – the  Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE)  -  has reached an interesting point.

Even as  the latter’s president BN Tiwari has stated that he and the office bearers of the association are hell bent on seeing the strike through from midnight 14 August, the IFTPC (Indian Film & Television Producers Council) – which has been fronting the TV producers- has managed to get an interim order from the Mumbai high court yesterday which allows them to continue shooting – strike or no strike - and disallows the FWICE from stopping workers from reporting to sets if they want to work. 

IFTPC TV unit head JD Majethia says that the high court came down heavily on the FWICE’s move to strike work and has condemned it.  It also explicitly stated that the FWICE office bearers or their representatives cannot enter or come near the precincts of sets of any serial or disrupt any shoot and if anything of that sort happens, the Mumbai police has been alerted to provide them with protection.

Additionally, TV production units on sets have been instructed to take photographs and videos of any FWICE members who dare to violate the Mumbai high court order. “This will then be presented as evidence of the FWICE’s mala fide intent at the next hearing by our lawyers,” says Majethia.

He adds that the Allied Mazdoor Union, Cine & TV Artists Association, and  directors, editors, and cinematographers associations have confirmed that they are not participating in the strike call. 

“TV producers have personally visited the sets and nowhere do the workers want to be a part of the strike. We are here to work and not to fool around. Producers, directors, editors, cameramen are workers and human beings, and everyone gets equal treatment,” says Majethia. “We always wanted to sit down and talk it out amicably with the FWICE’s BN Tiwari, but that never happened. Why should there be strikes on such petty issues?”

 Whether the issues are petty or not and whether the FWICE has the support or not are questions that will be answered as the clock strikes midnight on 14 August.

So stay tuned in.