On Monday, a fire broke out at the Film City in Mumbai, where Season 2 of the Colors TV show Pati Patni Aur Panga, hosted by Sonali Bendre and Munawar Faruqui, was being shot. The All India Cine Workers Association ( AICWA ) has now written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding a high-level inquiry and legal action against the channel and makers of the show.
On Monday evening, the AICWA posted videos of the fire that broke out on the set of Pati Patni Aur Panga 2, stating that ‘negligence has become a habit’ and pointing out that it affects workers’ lives. Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, the president of the workers’ body, wrote to the CM, with three demands that read, “A thorough, time-bound inquiry into how the fire started on the Pati Patni Aur Panga set, and why no fire safety arrangements were in place. An FIR for negligence against the channel, the producer and the production house of the show.The resignation of the Managing Director of Film City, who bears full responsibility. Suresh also alleged that the set was being run without basic fire safety measures, writing, “These studios stand inside Film City, and the management knew well that sets were running without basic fire safety. Not a single fire safety measure was in place on this set. This is not an accident; it is criminal negligence. Every day, thousands of workers and artists put their lives at risk on these sets. When a fire breaks out, the people who suffer are the poor workers, not the channels and producers who profit. This cannot go on. Accountability must be fixed at the top, and those responsible must face the law. The workers’ body has also demanded mandatory fire audits, fire safety staff and firefighting equipment on every shoot, with licences cancelled for non-compliance.
