Mumbai, November 3, 2025 - Veteran filmmaker Boney Kapoor recently shared a nostalgic throwback photo on social media, offering a glimpse into a period of significant upheaval in the Hindi film industry. The picture, taken in 1986, captures Kapoor and several members of the film fraternity during a trip to Vaishno Devi. This pilgrimage occurred during a month-long shutdown of Bollywood due to a strike.
The strike was triggered by the Maharashtra government's imposition of a tax on film tickets. The Theater Employees Union and the All-India Film Producers Council jointly announced the strike to protest the government's decision, specifically demanding a reduction in the 177% surcharge on movie tickets. The industry-wide action brought film production and related activities to a standstill, impacting thousands of livelihoods.
In the shared image, Boney Kapoor is seen riding a mule, with other industry figures accompanying him on the journey to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Kapoor mentioned Padmini Kolhapure (Tuttu), Ashok Thakeria (Poonam), and Suresh (Naidoo)babu as members who were also present in the picture. The pilgrimage was undertaken with the hope that their collective prayers would lead to a resolution of the strike and a return to normalcy for the film industry.
Kapoor captioned the photo, "1986 Vaishno Devi trip when film industries were shut & after it opened Hope 86 show was organised for the benefit of the cine workers. Padmini Tuttu, Ashok Poonam, me & Suresh (Naidoo)babu seen here going up hill to pray for the settlement of stike and the industries to open so that all films start progressing & all association members get fair revisions in their payments & of course films held up due to strike start releasing (sic).". His words reflect the uncertainty and anxiety that plagued the industry during that period.
The strike eventually ended after extensive negotiations between industry representatives and the Maharashtra government. Sunil Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan, both Members of Parliament at the time, played crucial roles in mediating discussions with the then-Chief Minister of Maharashtra, S.B. Chavan, leading to a resolution.
Boney Kapoor's throwback post arrives shortly after his daughter, Anshula Kapoor, got engaged to Rohan Thakkar. The Kapoor family recently celebrated the Ghor Dana ceremony. The filmmaker expressed his joy and affection for his daughter, sharing photos from the festivities on social media. He wrote, "My darling daughter blessed to have you in our lives," and previously, "My precious daughter found a precious son in law for me love you my bachha all my blessings and happiness to you both forever (sic).".
