A fire broke out at Mumbai’s Film City in Goregaon East on Monday afternoon, October 5, disrupting shoots on multiple television setsThe blaze started around 4 pm on the outer shade of a temporary setup being used for Pati Patni Aur Panga 2, behind Prime Focus StudioThe smoke quickly spread towards the adjoining sets of Hustle Season 5 and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), forcing actors and crew members to evacuateAmitabh Bachchan, who was on the KBC set, also had to step out because of the smoke.
Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incidentThere was no shoot scheduled on the Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 set when the fire broke out, so no artists or crew members were present there at the timeThe blaze was later brought under control by the fire brigade.
What happened at Film City?
According to a Times of India report, Ashok Dubey, President of the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC) and General Secretary of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), said the situation could have been much worse if the Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 team had been shooting.
“The shade on the Pati Patni Aur Panga set caught fire, and the smoke spread to the adjacent sets of Hustle 5 and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), forcing the crews to evacuateAmit ji (Amitabh Bachchan) also had to step out of the KBC set because of the smoke, bringing the shoots to a halt for nearly an hour and a halfFortunately, there was no shoot on the Pati Patni Aur Panga set; otherwise, it could have resulted in a major accident,” he said.
Ashok said the incident should not be treated as an isolated accidentHe pointed out that fires have been reported at shooting locations with increasing frequency and alleged that basic safety checks are still not being given enough attention.
He recalled another fire at Royal Palms around ten days earlier, which was reportedly caused by a short circuit just before a shoot was scheduled to beginHe said he has repeatedly called for structural audits, fire compliance checks and regular safety inspections at shooting locations.
Ashok also said the federation had already raised the issue with officials, including the labour department, BMC and fire authoritiesThe aim, he said, was to create a system where sets could be inspected and working conditions checked before productions begin.
“We had meetings involving the labour officer, BMC officials and the federation’s health and safety team, which was supposed to inspect sets and assess how work was being carried outI have been writing to the fire department and the Chief Minister for many yearsWe can’t wait for a major tragedy to happen before swinging into actionWe wrote to the Chief Fire Officer and the BMC two days ago, and we will be writing again, asking them to look into this concernWe also met Ashish Shelar ji, Cabinet Minister for Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, a while ago regarding how every set could be inspected and safety protocols followed, which turned out to be quite positiveWe are hoping that action will soon be initiated and that the necessary steps will be taken,” he added.
Following Monday’s fire, Ashok said the federation will once again approach the state government and seek a formal inquiryHe also called for producers, government officials and workers’ organisations to work together on safety measures instead of responding only after an accident takes place.
The federation is now seeking the formation of a formal committee involving producers, government representatives and workers’ bodiesAshok said he would write again to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ashish Shelar, urging them to set up the committee and initiate an inquiry into the repeated fire incidents at shooting locations.
Hustle 5 finale shoot disrupted
The fire also affected the finale shoot of Hustle Season 5, which was taking place on a nearby setAccording to ABP News, rapper Badshah, actor Samarth Jurel and the contestants were present when they noticed smoke and the smell of burning.
Everyone was asked to leave the set as a precautionTents outside the sets of Hustle 5 and Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 also caught fire and were completely burnt.
The fire did not spread extensively and was eventually brought under control by the fire brigadeThe Hustle 5 finale shoot resumed after the situation was declared safe.
AICWA seeks high-level inquiry
The incident has also prompted the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) to write to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking a high-level inquiry and legal action against those responsible.
Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, president of the AICWA, has made three demands in the letter: “A thorough, time-bound inquiry into how the fire started on the Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 set, and why no fire safety arrangements were in placeAn FIR for negligence against the channel, the producer and the production house of the showThe resignation of the Managing Director of Film City, who bears full responsibility.”
Suresh also alleged that the set did not have basic fire safety arrangements and said accountability should extend beyond the workers present at the location.
“These studios stand inside Film City, and the management knew well that sets were running without basic fire safetyNot a single fire safety measure was in place on this setThis is not an accident; it is criminal negligenceEvery day, thousands of workers and artists put their lives at risk on these setsWhen a fire breaks out, the people who suffer are the poor workers, not the channels and producers who profitThis cannot go onAccountability must be fixed at the top, and those responsible must face the law,” he added.