The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has decided that members of none of the 32 unions affiliated to it will work with producer-director Ram Gopal Varma. The strict disciplinary action was taken as Varma has allegedly not cleared the dues of Rs. 1.25 crore to artistes, technicians and workers of the film industry.
According to FWICE president B.N. Tiwari, general secretary Ashok Dubey and treasurer Gangeshwar Lal Srivastav, Ram Gopal Varma had already been served a legal notice on September 17, 2020, which he never bothered to reply to. He also failed to clear the dues mentioned in the notice. The FWICE had also written several letters to Varma before sending him the notice, reminding him to clear the dues but the filmmaker refused to accept delivery of those letters.
In September last year, Varma was shooting for a film in Goa. On learning of this, the FWICE rushed a letter to the chief minister of Goa on September 10, 2020. The FWICE has also notified the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) and the Producers’ Guild of India about the ban.