The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) asked its members to halt shooting on the set of Ram Gopal Varma’s Police Company on a set in Bombay on 17th August because the filmmaker had not cleared dues of Rs. 1.32 crore from earlier projects of as long ago as nine years. Varma had to transfer Rs. 1.11 crore to the FWICE bank account before shooting could resume after nearly five hours.
Reportedly, Ram Gopal Varma owed money to technicians and daily-wage workers for Sarkar 3 (2017) and Officer (2018). He is said to have assured the FWICE in 2019 that the dues would be cleared at the earliest. The FWICE kept following up with the producer-director, but he dodged the issue every time. When the FWICE learnt about his new film, Police Company, its members contacted Varma again, and were told that the payments would be made shortly. The producer-director also asked the Association not to take action against him. Driven to their wits’ end, the Association eventually decided to halt the shooting over the issue of unpaid dues. That’s how the FWICE on 17th August asked the cameraman, fighters and members of the lighting department not to work on the set until the payment was made. The outstanding amount involved money owed to fighters, spot boys and technicians of the sound department.
In this way, the workers finally received their dues after 8-9 years.