Mumbai: The Screenwriters Association (SWA) and Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) have joined hands to address the issues faced by the artistes in the Hindi film and television industries. In doing so, both the bodies have signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deal with and resolve the problems faced by the members of both the associations.
It may be recalled that the #MeToo movement in the last one year has uncovered many startling facts. For instance, following writer director Vinta Nanda’s allegation of rape, actor Alok Nath refused to respond to Indian Film and Television Director Association’s (IFTDA) notice seeking his stand on the issue. The associations, however, failed to compel Nath to sit across the table to address the concern raised by Nanda.
According to a media release, CINTAA general secretary Sushant Singh pointed out Tuesday that the two bodies will work together more effectively as these two are the back bones of the film industry.
“With a lot of members from CINTAA and SWA turning producers, there are chances of conflict. The idea is for both associations to form joint committees to address complaints. Together, they will have more power, be respected and feared more,” Singh said.
SWA general secretary, Sunil Salgia echoed similar sentiment and said this MOU will help deal with all violations like sexual harassment, copy right, payment or breach of contract. “The idea is to fight and take action. The MOU will compel members to attend hearings or else they couldn’t accept cooperation in case of personal grievance,” he concluded.
