KOLKATA, April 5 -- The Tollywood industry is set to go on an indefinite strike from Tuesday, not due to internal conflict, but in a united demand for stronger safety and security measures for artists and technicians.
The decision follows the sudden death of actor Rahul Arunadoy Banerjee, who drowned at Talsari beach on March 29 while shooting for a Bengali television serial. Around 11,000 technicians and 4,000 members of the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum have backed the strike.
Rahul was shooting for the TV serial 'Bhole Baba Paar Karega' when the incident occurred. While the production house has not denied lapses in safety, Rahul's wife-actor Priyanka Sarkar has filed a case against Magic Moments Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd and its directors, Saibal Banerjee and Leena Gangopadhyay. The complaint alleges criminal conspiracy and negligent shooting practices that endangered lives and led to Rahul's death. FIRs have been lodged at both Regent Park and Talsari police stations.
At a joint meeting on Sunday, members of the Artists' Forum and the Federation decided to begin the indefinite strike. Padma Shri award-winning actor Prosenjit Chatterjee said the tragedy has united the industry and once again exposed serious safety concerns.
Actor Rituparna Sengupta stressed the urgent need for standard safety rules to prevent such incidents in the future. Federation president Swarup Biswas added that with lakhs of technicians depending on the industry, ensuring their safety must be a top priority. Meanwhile, the production house has remained silent following the FIR. On Saturday, members of the industry and admirers of Rahul held a silent protest march from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio, demanding justice.
If the strike continues for an extended period, it is expected to cause huge losses to the Bengali TV and film industry.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.