FWICE Has No Right to Interfere in CINTAA Affairs, Says Deepak Qazir Kejriwal
Deepak Qazir Kejriwal has opposed FWICE's involvement in CINTAA's internal dispute, linking the row to unfulfilled promises and poor working conditions.
Actor and former CINTAA office-bearer Deepak Qazir Kejriwal has pushed back against any role for the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) in the ongoing dispute within the Cine and TV Artistes' Association, asserting that the federation has no business intervening in another organisation's internal matters.
Speaking on Tuesday, Kejriwal described FWICE as a separate body with no standing in CINTAA's internal laws. He went further, alleging that the federation has encroached on several unions and weakened them.
According to Kejriwal, the current friction is not new. He traced it to 2016 and tied it to promises that were never honoured, particularly those concerning the Cine Artists Welfare Trust (CAWT).
He also pointed to the commitments made during CINTAA's 2024 elections, when members were assured of an eight-hour shift, conveyance provisions and timely payments. None of these materialised, he said.
Beyond the association's internal politics, Kejriwal flagged broader problems in the film industry, saying long shooting hours remain the norm and that labour-related rules are poorly enforced. He said spot boys, carpenters and light boys still work 16-hour shifts, and described the condition of artists as very poor.
His comments come amid unrest within CINTAA over how its executive committee functions. Eleven members resigned last month, alleging that key decisions were being taken without adequate consultation. Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure rejected those allegations.
The election process was subsequently challenged in court. On September 9, the court permitted the polls to proceed, subject to the outcome of the legal proceedings. Voting was held on September 12.