Love And War On-Set Death: FWICE Demands Rs 50 Lakh From SLB For Bereaved Family, Questions Bad Working Conditions

The

recent death of a crew member on the sets of Love And War has shaken the industry. The tragic demise of technician Chandradhari Singh Yadav during the shooting of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film has sparked serious concerns regarding worker safety, long working hours and compensation for families affected by on-set accidents. While the filmmaker's production house has extended financial support to the deceased worker's family, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) believes more needs to be done.

FWICE wants more compensation for late Chandradhari Singh Yadav's family

FWICE president N. Tiwari has addressed the issue, revealing that the federation has requested filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his production house to provide additional compensation to the family of the deceased technician. According to Tiwari, the production has already extended financial assistance of Rs 40 lakh to Chandradhari Singh Yadav's family following his death due to an electrical accident on the set of Love & War. He told IANS that the deceased worker was only 42 years old and had significant responsibilities toward his family. While acknowledging the support already provided by the production, the federation believes additional compensation would offer greater financial security to the bereaved family. FWICE has requested that the amount be increased to Rs 50 lakh considering the technician was the sole earning member of his family.

Tiwari clarified that the federation's current objection primarily concerns the compensation amount and not specifically the safety arrangements on Bhansali's set. However, he stressed on the fact that the larger issue of worker welfare remains a major concern across the industry.

FWICE questions working condition on sets

The FWICE chief pointed out that excessively long working hours have become a widespread problem on film, television, and web series sets. According to him, despite the prescribed maximum working duration of 12 hours, many technicians and workers continue to work for 16 to 20 hours at a stretch.He added that the issue extends beyond a single production house or filmmaker and reflects an industry-wide problem that urgently requires attention. The federation, he said, plans to conduct stricter inspections regarding health and safety standards on various sets. Tiwari stated, "Our main issue is that our workers, our technicians and artistes, who are being made to work like slaves, should be stopped."

Addressing the possibility of legal action, Tiwari said that FWICE has traditionally avoided filing FIRs against producers. Instead, the organisation prefers resolving issues through discussions and negotiations. "The federation has never filed an FIR against anyone. Our organisation is set up to protect our workers and fight for their rights and safety," he said.For the uninitiated, the incident happened on June 17 in Mumbaiduring the shooting of Love & War. Chandradhari Singh Yadav, a 42-year-old carpenter working on the set, lost his life while several other workers were reportedly injured.