MUMBAI:Film industry’s renowned association, Federation of  Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), helmed by its President B.N. Tiwari and General Secretary Ashok Dubey with their respective office bearers hosted a grand press-meet on Monday, 14^th May 2018 in their office situated at Kartik Complex, Link Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai-400 053.On this occasion veteran and renowned music director  & The Padma Bhushan Award winner Khayyam Saheb who gave memorable music in the songs like “Tere chehre se nazar nahi hatati (from Kabhi Kabhi)”Mohabbat bade kaam ki cheez hai” and “Janeman tum kamal karti ho” and the light “Gapuchi Gapuchi gam gam”. “Hazarrahen” from Thodisi Bewafai and “Aaja re o mere dilbarAaja” from Noorie amongst others and his wife Jagjeet Kaur visited the association’s office to donate a cheque of Rs.1,50,000 to FWICE for the welfare of cine workers. This is third time in a row that they have been donating to the association through their KPJ Charitable Trust.

The event was attended Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota, Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union’s (FSSAMU) General Secretary Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav a.k.aSanju, Cine & TV Artistes Association’s (CINTAA) General Secretary Sushant Singh and all the other important office bearers of the 22-allied unions attended and making the evening a grand affair.

Speaking on the occasion, B.N. Tiwari, President of FWICE said, “We are thankful to Khayyam Saheb who is thinking about the workers’ welfare associated with our film industry. Many more should come forward and donate for such issues. I am overwhelmed and pray to Almighty God Almighty that let us avail his blessings all the time. Even though he does not donate, his presence will encourage us in our initiatives.”

The 92-year-old Khayyam Sahab enunciates, “Film Industry has given me so much in wealth and fame. So in turn we thought of giving it back and that is why we have started donating Rs. 1.5 lakh rupees every year to FWICE to take care of the needy workers. I appeal that more people from our industry come forward and generously support our workers and technicians. If we are not around; our trust will be donating this amount every year. Our property and jewellery will be liquefied (converted into cash) and put in fixed deposit accounts. The interest accrued thereon will be made provisions for various donations. Every year Rs. 5 lakh will be donated to Prime Ministers’ fund. Some amount too will also be earmarked for Maharashtra Chief Ministers’ welfare fund. The trust will also help individual cine workers to the tune of Rs. 10,000 to 20,000 also.”

Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav a.k.a Sanju, General Secretary of FSSAMU and Ashok Dubey, General Secretary of FWICE added that we are trying to reinforce our federation and make it stronger and committed. “We have assured film and television producers that the workers and technicians are team members who cannot do without each other. We have to walk together and think from both the ends too.”

Khayyam Sahab & his wife Smt. Jagjeet Kaur, Anup Jalota,B.N. Tiwari, chairman of FWICE,General secretary Ashok Dubey,Kishan Sharma, Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union’ (FSSAMU) s General Secretary Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav a.k.a. Sanju, Sharafuddin Mohammed, Rakesh Maurya, Sushant Singh – actor and General Secretary of Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) were present along with Federation’s Senior Vice President Feroz Khan (Raja Bhai), Vice President Sangam Upadhyay, Mazdoor Union’s Sharafuddin Mohammed, Rakesh Maurya and other office bearers of 22 unions like Ram Chaudhari, Chawla, Raj Surve, Pinky More, Feroz Bhai, Dharam Arora, Imran Merchant, Surendra Shrivastav, Kundan Goswami, Ashok Pandey, Himanshu Bhatt, Ashfaque Khopekar, Hanif Bhai, Munna Bhai, Suleka and many others.

————–Sanjay Sharma Raj(P.R.O.)