Bollywood goes back to work

CALLED OFF: Bachchan (pictured) was among those stars who stayed away from shoots until the situation was resolved. (Getty Images)

A strike that hit production in Bollywood has been called off after unions and producers thrashed out a deal for better pay and working conditions, they said Friday.

"The strike is over," the head of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FIWCE), Dinesh Chaturvedi, told newswire AFP by telephone after four hours of talks with three bodies representing producers.

The president of the Association of Motion Picture and TV Programme Producers, Ratan Jain, added: "The strike is over and tomorrow [Saturday] we will resume work."

Some 147,000 workers, including actors, lighting technicians, camera operators and dancers in Bollywood's Mumbai base began an indefinite "non co-operation" strike Wednesday against low wages, late pay and long hours.

They had also complained of the use of non-union staff.

Bollywood acting legend Amitabh Bachchan was among those stars who stayed away from shoots until the situation was resolved.

Chaturvedi said the producers had agreed to employ only members of the 22 organisations affiliated to FIWCE, to pay a wage backlog within 15 days and limit shifts to a maximum of 12 hours per day.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two sides, he said.

"Workers have faith in the producers. Now it's up to the producers to have faith in the workers," he said.

The strike began on the eve of the annual Diwali festive season period, causing several major film and television studios to grind to a halt and prompting fears of delays in the release of big-budget movies.

Some 1,146 films were made in the whole of India in 2007, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), which values the industry at $2.1 billion.

It projects the industry could grow to $3.9 billion by 2011 with new production techniques, marketing and distribution to a wider, more global audience.

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