Anupamaa: 'Murder, Not Death', Says AICWA On Crew Member's Electrocution, Urges Show Suspension

Anupaama Crew Member Death: A camera attendant on the sets of the popular TV show died following electrocution earlier this week, the All India Cine Workers Association has alleged. Police have registered an FIR against the contractor for negligence. The cine workers' body has written a letter to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde urging urgent intervention in the matter. They have laid down certain conditions, including compensation to the time of ₹1 crore for the deceased's family and suspension of all shooting activities on the set of Anupamaa and other associated productions until a thorough investigation is completed and accountability is established.Rupali Ganguly stars in Anupamaa | Image: Rupali Ganguly/InstagramAICWA calls camera assistant's death on set "institutionalized murder"The letter written by AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta to Maharashtra CM Shinde read, "We write to bring to your urgent attention a heinous incident that occurred on 14th November 2024 at Film City, Mumbai, where a 32-year-old camera attendant lost his life due to electrocution while working on the sets of the TV show Anupamaa. This is not merely an accident-it is an institutionalized murder caused by the reckless negligence and greed of the producers, the production house, and the channel."After the death of the Vineet Kumar Mandal, the shoot continued till midnight. Calling it "shocking", Gupta wrote, "The worker's tragic death took place at approximately 9:30 PM due to electrocution caused by faulty and poorly maintained equipment on the set. What followed was even more shocking- The shooting continued until midnight as if nothing had happened, showing a complete disregard for the deceased worker's life. Even worse, the production resumed shooting the very next day, blatantly ignoring the gravity of the situation."Anupamaa starring Rupali Ganguly started airing in 2020 | Image: Rupali Ganguly/InstagramThe letter further read, "The hazardous conditions on sets, perpetuated by the use of old, damaged, and poorly insulated electric wires patched with plastic tape, created a death trap for workers. This systemic disregard for basic safety protocols has led to yet another preventable loss of life."What are the demands of AICWA?AICWA has made the following demands from Anupamaa team and the production house Director's Kut Productions, owned by Rajan and Deepa Shahi.File an FIR for murder (Section 302 IPC) against:-- The producers of Anupamaa-- The production house-- The channel responsible for creating and sustaining such unsafe working conditions-- The Film City Managing Director and Labour Commissioner for their complicity in allowing these hazardous conditions.1 crore compensation to be provided to the family of the deceased worker.Suspend all shooting activities on the set of Anupamaa and other associated productions until a thorough investigation is completed and accountability is established.Immediate inspection and enforcement of safety protocols on all sets, with strict penalties for non-compliance.Hold all responsible parties accountable, including producers, production houses, and channels, to set a precedent that human lives cannot be treated as disposable.Established in 2016, AICWA is a trade union body consisting of daily wage earners, actors, stunt persons, and choreographers, among others. It has over 1 lakh members across India.

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Anupamaa: 'Murder, Not Death', Says AICWA On Crew Member's Electrocution, Urges Show Suspension

AICWA president alleged that a camera attendant named Vineet Kumar Mandal lost his life as there were "no safety measures" on the set of Anupamaa.

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