AICWA urges Indian filmmakers to avoid Maldives for film shoot

In light of the current controversy over anti-Indian comments made by certain Maldivian officials, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has advised Indian filmmakers not to film any films in the Maldives. In a video message, Suresh Shyamlal, the president of the Cine Workers' Association, urged the film industry to promote Indian islands rather than travel to the island nation for holidays.

On Sunday, he made his appeal, one day after the Maldives government requested that India remove its armed forces from its islands by March 15.“The Maldives government has asked the Indian government to withdraw the Indian Army from their islands by March 15. Some days ago, some Maldives ministers used wrong words against our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After this, a trend of boycotting Maldives was started in India. As the president of the All India Cine Workers Association, I appeal to the Indian film industry to not shoot movies in the Maldives and no one should go to Maldives for their holidays,” Shyamlal said in the video.

He added, “Don't put anything related to Maldives on your social media platforms…There are several islands in India, please promote them.”

“Whoever goes against the country, we will go against them. We can endure anything and everything but not something that goes against our country,” the AICWA president said.

Earlier this month, a huge issue broke out when the Maldivian deputy minister and a few other politicians made racist statements directed at India and made fun of Modi's efforts to market Lakshadweep as a travel destination. Indians took to social media in response to the remarks, and many—including celebrities—joined the demand to boycott the island country.