Rajnikanth (File photo: EPS)
CHENNAI: Rajinikanth has requested the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) to call off its strike over revising the daily wages of its members.
In a statement to the press, he said he doesn’t like the word ‘strike’, and has appealed “to all the stakeholders to arrive at an amicable conclusion soon.” He said, “Whatever the problem is, one should solve it through peaceful dialogues, irrespective of one’s personal likes and dislikes. As a senior actor, I request members of FEFSI and TPFC (Tamil Film Producers’ Council) to discuss and find a solution.”
The actor has issued the statement a day after the shooting of his upcoming venture Kaala was stopped due to the indefinite strike announced by the FEFSI. The strike has affected over 20 other Tamil films that were being shot.
FEFSI on Tuesday began a strike as their request for revision of daily wages had been turned down by Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TFPC).
FEFSI, which comprises 24 unions of various crafts of the film industry and has over 25,000 members, and TFPC are at loggerheads after FEFSI had an altercation with producer-actor RK Suresh on the sets of his Tamil film “Billa Pandi”.
The strike has come as a big blow for over 20 Tamil films that are currently on floors.
“The shoot of over 20 Tamil films including Rajinikanth’s ‘Kaala’ has been stopped. FEFSI workers are part of most Tamil films and they have been instructed to not take part in the shooting. They have to understand it will only affect their livelihood,” a member of the Producers Council had told IANS.
(with IANS inputs)
Source: The New Indian Express