The President of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), a major body representing technicians and behind-the-scenes workers in Hindi cinema, has raised serious concerns about the working conditions in Bollywood, warning that the industry could face a complete breakdown if urgent reforms are not made. Speaking about the challenges faced by crew members, he highlighted issues such as delayed payments, reduced job opportunities, and excessively long working hours, particularly affecting daily-wage workers across film sets.In an interview with ANI, he pointed out how changes in the industry, including the rise of OTT platforms and faster content formats like vertical films, have increased pressure on output while reducing stability for workers. “A lot of OTT platforms have opened up. Vertical films are now being made. There is no meaning of quality in that. Everyone is looking for more output. The biggest loss is the daily wages of the worker. There are spot boys, light men, art directors, and small artists,” he said.He also stressed that those working behind the camera, such as spot boys, light technicians, art directors, and junior artists—are bearing the brunt of the crisis. According to him, many are working extremely long shifts without fair compensation, with reports of people being made to work up to 20 hours while not even receiving proper payment for a standard eight-hour day.The FWICE chief added that financial insecurity often forces workers to accept unfair conditions just to sustain their livelihoods. “A man needs work; he needs food. People have come in and out of the house. So they have to compromise,” he said, adding that delayed payments are especially common in OTT-driven projects, where funds sometimes arrive months later and producers become difficult to trace.Issuing a stark warning about the long-term impact, he said, “If it continues like this, the film industry will shut down one day, people will come on the road, and the situation is still not right.” The federation, he added, is actively working to reach out to workers, understand their grievances, and push for better accountability within the industry.