The shoot of Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming crime thriller Police Company, starring Harshvardhan Rane in the lead role, was disrupted on August 17 after Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) members stopped work over long-pending payments allegedly owed to technicians and daily-wage workers. The shoot, which was taking place at a set in Versova, remained stalled for nearly five hours as the federation pushed for the dues to be cleared.
[Also read: Ram Gopal Varma’s Police Company to explore Dawood Ibrahim’s underworld era; Harshvardhan Rane set to lead]
FWICE steps in over pending payments
According to Times of India report, the dispute reportedly relates to payments pending for almost nine years and covers three of Ram's earlier projects, including Sarkar 3 (2017) and Officer (2018). Following FWICE’s intervention, ₹1.11 crore was transferred to the federation, allowing the production to resume.
According to FWICE President BN Tiwari, Ram had previously accepted that payments were pending and had given the federation a written assurance in 2019 that the dues would be settled. However, despite repeated follow-ups, the matter remained unresolved.
“Varma, who owed money to technicians and daily-wage workers for three projects, including Sarkar 3 (2017) and Officer (2018), had written a letter to us in 2019, assuring us that the dues would be cleared at the earliest and requesting that he be allowed to continue working. We kept following up with him, but he continued to avoid the issue. We contacted him again when we learnt that he was preparing to shoot his next project, but for almost a month, we were told that the payment would be made shortly and were asked not to take action,” he told the publication.
{{/usCountry}}“Varma, who owed money to technicians and daily-wage workers for three projects, including Sarkar 3 (2017) and Officer (2018), had written a letter to us in 2019, assuring us that the dues would be cleared at the earliest and requesting that he be allowed to continue working. We kept following up with him, but he continued to avoid the issue. We contacted him again when we learnt that he was preparing to shoot his next project, but for almost a month, we were told that the payment would be made shortly and were asked not to take action,” he told the publication.
{{/usCountry}}The federation eventually decided to intervene directly on the first day of the new film’s shoot. FWICE Honorary General Secretary Ashok Dubey said members from several departments were asked to stop work until the outstanding amount was addressed. He added, “On Monday, we had no choice but to stall the shoot. We asked the cameraman, fighters and members of the lighting department not to work until the payment was made. The outstanding amount involved several departments, including fighters, spot boys and the sound department. After almost nine years, the workers finally received the money that was due to them.”
The intervention affected multiple departments working on the production, with the shoot resuming only after the payment was made to FWICE.
FWICE sends a message to producers
Ashoke Pandit, acting as the FWICE Chief Advisor and IFTDA President, stated during the intervention that the federation's primary goal is to prevent payment delays for film technicians and daily-wage workers. He emphasised that producers must acknowledge the personal and financial responsibilities of the crew members who help complete their films.
Although the federation prefers to avoid halting productions, recognising that such disruptions also negatively impact producers, he affirmed that they will continue to pursue necessary measures whenever worker dues are withheld.
What is Police Company about?
Police Company is a film project wherein Ram is making a return to the gritty thrillers which were very much a part of his work, especially Satya and Company. The film, produced by T-Series, has Harshvardhan Rane playing the role of ex-Mumbai Police encounter specialist Daya Nayak.
Police Company is allegedly meant to be the first part of a two-film series with both films shooting simultaneously. It is anticipated that they will hit the screens a few months apart in the year 2027. Taking place during the late nineties to early 2000s, the film's plot centers on the Mumbai Police Detection Unit, better known as the Encounter Squad, as well as their war against some of the worst criminal organisations in the city.
Ram had shared the name of the movie and its concept via social media to give people some insights about his movie’s plot. Explaining the distinction between a criminal gang and a strong police force, Ram said, “My NEXT film's NAME being produced by T SERIES is .. POLICE COMPANY. With the tagline 'It Is More Dangerous Than D Company'. The police is an institution, and an underworld company is a money-making organisation.. But when an institution is given extra powers, it will soon become a company.”
Other actors who are also starring in the film include Fardeen Khan, Saurabh Shukla, Paresh Rawal and Makarand Deshpande. The film is anticipated to shoot until the end of the year and premiere in mid-2027.
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