Bengali Film and Television Industry Calls for Indefinite Strike Following Actor Rahul Banerjees Death

Kolkata, April 5: The Bengali film and television industry has announced an indefinite strike starting April 7, in response to the tragic death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee. Artists and technicians are halting all film and serial shoots until their demands for enhanced safety measures are met.

This decision was made following a meeting held by the West Bengal Artists Forum at a studio on Sunday.

On Saturday, Tollywood artists took to the streets to protest against the unfortunate incident that occurred on March 29, during the shooting of a Bengali serial at Talasari Beach in Odisha.

The West Bengal Artists Forum filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the production company responsible for the shoot at the Regent Park police station in Kolkata on the same day. Rahul’s wife, actress Priyanka Sarkar, also registered an FIR at the Talasari police station late that night.

On Sunday evening, artists gathered once more to show solidarity with Rahul Arunoday Banerjee’s family. The meeting was attended by prominent figures such as Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Shantilal Mukherjee, Anjana Basu, Jishu Sengupta, Rupanjana Mitra, and Bidipta Chakraborty.

Shantilal Mukherjee, representing the Artists Forum, stated that the shooting will be suspended indefinitely. He emphasized, “We filed an FIR at the Regent Park police station yesterday. We have always stood by Rahul’s family, and we will continue to do so.”

He noted that this decision was made collectively by the forum’s 4,000 members, along with 7,000 technicians and the entire crew.

Mukherjee further explained, “This fight began for our safety and to protect our lives. We feel insecure. We go out for shoots without knowing if we will return safely. Rahul’s incident has taught us this lesson, which is why we will strike from Tuesday.”

Swaroop Biswas from the Federation added, “We did not want this, but no one is stepping up to take responsibility. Artists and crews often have to work in risky locations like rivers, seas, or mountains. Everyone is putting their lives at risk. We want to save this industry, which employs millions.”

Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee also stressed the need for safety measures for artists and crews during work. He mentioned that everyone is frightened after this incident, making safety essential.

There are now demands for ambulances to be present at every shooting location. Artists and crews have raised these requests in light of Rahul’s tragic incident.

Actress Rituparna Sengupta stated, “Rahul has left us. We will fight until the end. His death raises the question of whether we are safe. This is why the entire industry has decided to strike.”

Members of the Artists Forum and Federation will gather at Technicians Studio on Tuesday morning at 10 AM to commence the strike.

Director Kaushik Ganguly commented, “Accidents happen unexpectedly, but there should be regulations in place to honor the artists and their families.”

It is important to note that filming for movies and TV serials will be halted starting Tuesday.

On March 29, 42-year-old Rahul Arunoday Banerjee was shooting for the serial “Bhole Baba Par Karega.” He tragically drowned while in the water at Talasari when the tide came in. Technicians later retrieved him.

Initial reports suggest that he died from drowning, and an unusual death case has been registered at the Digha police station.

This incident has brought the entire Bengali film and television industry to a standstill. Co-stars, directors, and technicians have expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy. Rahul is survived by his mother, wife Priyanka Sarkar, and their 13-year-old son.

A segment of the industry is demanding a fair and thorough investigation into his death. Rahul Arunoday Banerjee was well-known for his roles in the Bengali TV industry and had been active for many years.