Yash Raj Films joins FWICE to help vaccinate 30,000 registered cine workers

Even as the film industry copes with the extended lockdown caused by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, Yash Raj Films (YRF) has offered to take up the inoculation of 30,000 registered cine workers to help curb the growing number of cases.

The production house has written to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, offering to take on the cost involved in the vaccination of the workers by purchasing 60,000 doses of the vaccine. 

The drive will take place through the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) and will be funded by the Yash Chopra Foundation.

In a letter, the FWICE appealed to Thackeray 'to consider the request of M/s Yash Raj Films and provide us with vaccines for around 30,000 of our registered artists, workers and technicians who are working continuously with the M&E [media and entertainment] industry. Yash Chopra Foundation has come forward to bear the entire expenses incurred on this vaccination centre set-up along with the cost incurred for the vaccines for members of the FWICE, thus reducing the financial burden on the state.'

The Yash Raj decision comes in the wake of an appeal by FWICE president BN Tiwari to key members of the Hindi film industry, including Salman Khan and YRF, to chip in with help.

Several film stars and workers have already picked up the contagion, forcing the state of Maharashtra to halt all shoots. The country is going through desperate times with the number of infections in the second wave of the COVID-19 rising rapidly. The country has recorded over two crore cases and is struggling to cope with almost 35 lakh active cases.