AICWA urges Indian filmmakers to boycott Maldives amid diplomatic tensions

Amidst the India-Maldives row, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has called on Indian filmmakers to refrain from filming in the island country. Suresh Shyamlal, the President of the AICWA in a video message urged the film industry not to shoot movies or go for vacation in the Maldives.

“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,” said the AICWA President.

Suresh Shyamlal also asked the Indian film fraternity to refrain from sharing anything concerning the Maldives on social media platforms. Instead, he encouraged them to promote numerous islands in India. “Whoever goes against the country, we will go against them. We can endure anything and everything but not something that goes against our country,” he added.

Earlier this month, a major controversy unfolded when the deputy minister of the Maldives and other officials made racist remarks targeting India and passed comments on the Indian Government’s efforts to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. These comments sparked outrage on Indian social media, leading to a call for boycotting the island nation.

In response to India's boycott call, the Maldivian government issued a statement distancing itself from the derogatory remarks and suspended three ministers—Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid. However, despite discussions between senior officials from both countries in Male to address the issue, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu requested India on Sunday to withdraw all Indian military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago by March 15.