As Maharashtra gears up for the state assembly elections on November 20, the Hindi film industry in Mumbai is hopeful that the new government will bring significant reforms for daily wage workers and policies to ease the financial burden on the sector.

In five days, the state will see an electoral battle between the ruling Mahayuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi led by Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).

Actor Suresh Oberoi stressed the importance of voting, calling it a “national festival”.

The veteran actor said, “Voting is a national festival and it is your duty to exercise your franchise and strengthen the foundation of democracy.” PTI,

Speaking to PTI, actor Gulshan Devaiah said, “Elections are the hallmark of a good democracy and it is the right of the people. No matter what problems we have with each other electorally and ideologically, we can have free and fair elections, so that’s quite amazing.” Filmmaker Boney Kapoor expressed similar sentiments. .

“It is the right of every citizen of this country to vote, elect leaders and make the government system as democratic as possible,” he said.

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai said governance focused on development and welfare is paramount.

“I do not belong to any political party; Maharashtra is my workplace. Whoever thinks about the development of the state should be our leader, no matter which party he belongs to. It is important to vote first and we all should do so.

For stakeholders, lack of government support for daily wage earners in the industry is one of the main concerns. The issue came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic when everything in Bollywood’s dream factory came to a halt.

BN Tiwari, president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), pointed out that despite several appeals for assistance from political leaders, little has been done to ensure job stability for daily wage earners.

“They need all the help from the film industry, but they (political leaders) never think about us. We have written to them several times to implement the PPF scheme for workers, provide them job security, etc. We fail to understand why those who talk about helping poor people do nothing for them,” Tiwari told PTI.

He said the plight of daily wage laborers in the film industry has not gone unnoticed as many are facing economic hardships even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Devaiah, who is known for his work in “Badhaai Do”, “Dahaad” and “Guns & Gulab”, highlighted the inadequacy of support systems for workers since the pandemic.

“When I came (to Mumbai) in 2008, a lot of systems were in place. After Covid-19, many employees are not doing well financially, so some schemes would be good for them. I received a circular from the union asking for donations (for workers), and it is possible that these unions do not have enough money,” he said.

Referring to the iconic Film City in suburban Mumbai, Tiwari claimed that Mumbai, considered the heart of Bollywood, is facing a crisis in its film infrastructure.

Giving a harsh assessment of Film City Tiwari, he said that the area has become a place that reflects “spookiness” more than “glamour”, especially in comparison to the well-maintained Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.

“The state government is not thinking of a film city here. Considering the condition of the place, anyone can shoot a horror film there. Ramoji Film City has a lot of sets, all well maintained. There is nothing worth seeing in the Film City here,” he said.

He told that Uttar Pradesh government is developing the biggest film city and giving subsidy, so everyone will go there for shooting.

“The Hindi film industry is synonymous with Mumbai, and people flock to the city because of the world of glamour. I hope the new state government will do something about it,” Tiwari said.

The film exhibition sector is also feeling the strain, especially this year.

Manoj Desai, executive director of Mumbai’s popular single-screen theatre, Gaiety Galaxy, expressed disappointment over the lack of support from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B).

He called for tax cuts, particularly on water and property, to help ease the financial pressure on movie theaters struggling amid rising operating costs.

“The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not done much for the exhibition sector. We have not received any facility. They have imposed 18 percent GST on us, which I think they should reduce. Apart from this we want them to reduce water and property taxes. We have high expectations from the elections, let’s see who wins,” Desai told PTI.

He said, this year only his three films ‘Stree 2’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ and ‘Singham Again’ were released.

He said, “We are paying so please help our film industry, exhibition sector a little.”