Rewind: The time when Bollywood actors went on a strike
What's the story
Hollywood has come to a standstill ever since the Screen Actors Guild-American Federations of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in their ongoing strike. But did you know that such solidarity was also shown in the Hindi film industry when the actors went on a month-long strike? Here's all you need to know about it.
Context
Why does this story matter?
All major projects in Hollywood, including the works on Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part Two and Avatar 3 and 4, have been put on hold ever since the members of SAG-AFTRA joined the strike earlier this month. Back in India, a similar strike was witnessed which saw the support of actors such as Vinod Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and many others.
Details
Bollywood came to a standstill in 1986
After the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Maharashtrian government imposed a 177% cinema surcharge on movie tickets. The same year, in October, Bollywood went on a strike with the whos-who joining it such as Hema Malini and Anil Kapoor, among others. Amitabh Bachchan and Sunil Dutt were appointed as representatives of a joint action committee that led the negotiations with then-chief minister SB Chavan.
Impact
The strike went on for 32 days
Per reports, the actors' strike in India went on for 32 days after negotiations with the Maharashtra government failed to bring down the surcharge levied on the tickets. This resulted in actors announcing their strike, which eventually stopped the production of more than 200 films, reportedly. Around 1.5 lakh people had joined the strike including actors such as Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna.
Results
Indian cinema's historic moment
The actors' strike in India eventually ended after a month. The government agreed to bring down the 177% state surcharge to 5%. Over 125 vehicles comprising actors, filmmakers, technicians, etc., rallied on the streets of Mumbai. The October 1986 strike is considered one of the most historic events in Indian cinema, particularly Bollywood, as everyone came together against heavy taxation.