MUMBAI - More than 100,000 Bollywood and television workers began an indefinite strike yesterday, protesting against irregular pay and the hiring of non-union members, a move that could delay major releases for India's festival season.

Movie stars as well as dancers, writers and technicians heeded a call for an indefinite 'non-cooperation' protest in Mumbai, where Bollywood, the home to India's prolific movie industry, is located.

'All shoots are off. The producers have not stuck to the terms of the agreement they signed with us 11/2 years back,' said general secretary Dinesh Chaturvedi, of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, the umbrella union for Bollywood employees.

This was the first time in the federation's 50 years that such a protest had been staged, he added.

More than 100,000 workers from 22 smaller associations representing everyone from actors to spot boys were involved, said secretary-general Suprant Sen, of the Film Producers Guild.

'Talks are going on but, for now, all studios are closed.'

The Indian media and entertainment business is forecast to grow at the fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific, with filmed entertainment expanding at an average rate of about 15 per cent to nearly US$4 billion (S$5.7 billion) by 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers has estimated.

The industry, which churns out about 1,000 films a year, more than a fifth of which are in the dominant Hindi language, has been making the transition to a more corporate structure in recent years, in terms of finance, production and distribution.

But work conditions and other standards, particularly for junior artists and daily wage earners, are left largely to individual producers and broadcasters, said founder Anil Wanvari of popular portal indiantelevision.com.

Producers and broadcasters are hopeful of a quick resolution in the festival season, when advertising on air and movie ticket sales hits a peak. -- REUTERS