The 'burning' Question Haunts Bollywood

The fire that broke out on Saturday in Kalbadevi has proven to be an eye-opener for the city.

Two firemen were killed and two others were seriously injured after the building collapsed while firefighters were trying to douse the fire. The city’s fire brigade chief and deputy chief fire officer were fighting for their lives.

This incident has brought to light a shocking revelation. Turns out, firemen are using the fire-fighting manual which was written way back in the 1940s. The British-era manual given to every fire fighter revolves around how to use fire hydrants, douse fires and open jammed doors. Even though the manual got an update in the 1990s, it was never put down in black-and-white.

It is obvious that firemen are not properly equipped to deal with fire breakouts. While the city is under threat, film and television industry are all the more at risk. After all, there have been numerous instances of fire on sets.

SpotboyE.com asked a few B-towners for their opinion on the issue.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt said, “This is endangering lives. Its as if they dont value human life. This is a serious issue and somebody has to look into it. Our society is such that you get what you accept. So the firemen should demand for a change.”

Producer Mukesh Bhatt echoed the sentiment, The government is just not interested in human life! Be it Congress, BJP or any other party they only want to come to power and make money.

The sets of ABCD2 had witnessed a fire breakout earlier this year. Choreographer-turned-director Remo recollected, I was lucky that when fire broke on the sets of my film, it was in control and the crew took care of it. But every day is not necessarily a lucky day. The fire safety department needs urgent upgrade. The department is asking for advance training. So the government has to support it and funds have to be brought in.

Even the television industry has been plagued by fire breakouts. Said Ruslaan Mumtaaz, who was a part of Jee Le Zara, TV sets are very unsafe. I was shooting for a scene when a light fell on the bed. As a result, the bedsheet burnt immediately. I was sitting on the bed and the crew pulled me away as soon as it happened. The actor added, Its appalling that old guidelines are still being followed in the fire department. These guidelines should be upgraded every 6 months. I salute the firemen for their bravery. They look after our safety, even we should think about theirs.

The sets of Ekta Kapoors Yeh Hain Mohabbatein were gutted by fire in October last year. Dolly Dhawan, mother of child artist Ruhanika who is part of the show, said, There ewre two instances of fire breaking out on the sets. Luckily, my daughter wasnt present during the fire. Her make-up room was gutted during one of the fires. I appeal to the concerned department to give the firemen proper training and updated equipments. After all, there are lives at stake.

Obviously, the fire department is far from well-equipped. The above instances prove how the film and TV industry has borne the brunt of it. Its not surprising then that film producers prefer shooting abroad where one can be assured of appropriate safety measures.

The recent incident, once again, highlights that the Government and the concerned officials need to up their game. The film industry has long been suffering under the Cinematography Act of 1950 and now, the fire department has been left at the mercy of a 1940s manual. Clearly, the authorities have been in a slumber for so long, they havent realised that were in 2015 today

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