Senior producer TP Aggarwal has filed a petition in the Bombay Civil Court at Dindoshi against FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) and IMPPA (Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association) stating that no individual or organisation has the authority to impose a ban or issue a non-cooperation directive against members of the film industry.
Speaking to India Today, Aggarwal mentioned that no one has the right to ban or send out such directives against anyone. The filmmaker also added that he and filmmaker Vipul A Shah had in the past also filed a petition against such directive.
“They had no business to do this,” he said, adding that the first hearing for their petition against FWICE and IMPPA is tomorrow (June 2).
The petition comes on the heels of FWICE issuing a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh amid the actor’s dispute with Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment over his exit from Don 3.
As reported by India Today earlier, the FWICE had also written to IMPPA and PGI (Producers Guild of India) to draw a framework to safeguard producers in similar situations in future.
Commenting on the petition further, TP Aggarwal in a statement said, “The film industry thrives on collaboration, and it is important that matters of this nature are addressed through proper legal and professional channels. Any attempt to discourage people from working with an individual should not be taken lightly. Such actions can have far-reaching consequences for livelihoods and creative freedom, and therefore must be dealt with in a fair, transparent, and lawful manner.”
TP Aggarwal had served as the president of IMPPA for 17 years and has also been elected President of the Film Federation of India (FFI) on four occasions. He currently serves as patron of the FFI and IMPPA.
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