Farah Sultan, Shalini Thackeray team-up for cine workers welfare

New Delhi: Farah Sultan, wife of late producer Sultan Ahmed, has joined hands with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) General Secretary Shalini Thackeray for the welfare of junior artistes, technicians and people who work at the lower levels in the Indian Film Industry.

Shalini is married to Jeetendra who is MNS chief Raj Thackeray`s brother. She was the first one to notice the plight of actor AK Hangal and film editor MS Shinde, who have been struggling hard to survive after being out of work. "We are trying to make things more organised and make this industry a better place for all of us. We believe that justice should happen to all and I would request people to come forward and share their problems without any fear and we will do our best to get them what they deserve," Shalini, who is also the union president of Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karamchari Sena, said in a statement. Basic concerns like wages of junior artistes, technicians, workers, their working hours, and censor issues are being looked at. The work has already begun at their office where they are getting medical insurance done for each and every member of film crew and now looking at other benefits for them. Farah, the former executive committee member of Indian Motion Picture Producers` Association, also urges people to take a united front to make the industry a better place to work. "I am happy that so many other actors, directors and producers have already joined us for the cause and we would request more people from the film fraternity to get united and help us make the industry a better place to work," she said. "There are actors who have taken up causes and are working towards them selflessly like Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and Suniel Shetty. There are corporate companies who are very organised but there are still so many things that we all need to change," she added. IANS