Bollywood's biggest workers' body has asked film producers to cancel shoots in Maldives amid the ongoing row.
Amid the growing row between India and Maldives over derogatory remarks for Prime Minister Modi, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has now urged all film and television producers in India to cancel their shoots in the island nation and look for alternatives back home. The FWICE is the largest body of cine employees in India and this call to action may have serious ramifications for Indian film shoots in the Maldives.
On Wednesday, the office bearers of the FWICE, led by President BN Tiwari and Chief Advisor Ashoke Pandit, issued a statement appealing to all producers to call off their shooting bookings in Maldives. The statement read: “In view of the growing row between India and Maldives over the derogatory statement issued by three ministers of Maldives, the FWICE which is the oldest and largest Federal body of the workers, technicians and artists working in the media and entertainment industry, strongly condemns the most irresponsible and ridiculous remarks of the ministers of Maldives passed on globally respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. In solidarity with the nation and its wide culture, the members of the FWICE have decided to boycott Maldives for their shooting locations.”
The FWICE further suggested the producers to look for alternatives in India in order to boost domestic tourism. “Instead, the FWICE appeals its members to choose similar locations in India for their shooting purpose and contribute towards developing the tourism in India,” the statement concluded.
What is the India-Maldives row?
The row began a few days ago after PM Narendra Modi posted several pictures from his visit to Lakshadweep in a bid to promote the archipelago as a tourist destination. A couple of ministers from Maldives made jibes at PM Modi and Lakshadweep on social media, which were called out as racist by many commenters. While the Maldivian government issued a statement reprimanding the ministers and distancing itself from the comments, the damage was done with ‘boycott Maldives’ trending on Twitter. Many public figures, including Bollywood and regional actors, also voiced their support for PM Modi and condemned the Maldivian ministers.
Why Maldives matters to Bollywood
Maldives has been a favourite shooting location for Indian films for decades now, with many major projects like Ek Villain, Ram Setu, Fight Club, and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya having been shot there over the years. Since the pandemic, it has also been the go-to holiday destination for B-town’s celebs, with everybody from Tiger Shroff to Janhvi Kapoor, and Mouni Roy to Akshay Kumar visiting the place.
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