Mumbai: In an exclusive interaction with News9Live, senior representatives of the film workers’ body have raised serious concerns after a major fire destroyed the set of Pashaan, backed by Dharma Productions. The blaze broke out at around 5 am on Friday at Bhullar Garden, reducing the elaborate structure to ashes. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as the unit was not present at the time. However, the incident has once again brought fire safety standards on film sets under scrutiny. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees has questioned repeated lapses and warned that continued inaction could place lives at risk.
Pashaan set fire: FWICE demands stricter safety audits
Ashok Dubey, General Secretary of FWICE, confirmed that the entire set was gutted in the early morning blaze. He stated that the Federation has repeatedly written to the Chief Minister and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, calling for structural audits and tighter fire safety regulations across film sets.
Dubey questioned if authorities are waiting for a large-scale tragedy before enforcing stronger safeguards. According to him, mandatory structural audits for every film set and a comprehensive review of fire prevention systems are now essential.
He stressed that if the incident had occurred during an active shoot, several lives could have been endangered. Despite multiple appeals over the years, he said no concrete corrective measures have followed.
The Federation also highlighted a series of recent fire incidents across the city, including at Film City, Chitrakoot, where one person lost his life, as well as Bangur Nagar and Powai.
While the Pashaan set fire caused no injuries, it has reignited pressing questions around safety enforcement in Mumbai’s film industry. The Federation’s demand is clear: preventive action cannot wait for disaster.