Rahul Arunoday Banerjee Death: Bengali Film Industry Calls For Indefinite Strike In Kolkata

Rahul

Arunoday Banerjee, the 43-year-old Bengali actor, died of drowning at the Talsari beach in Odisha on March 29. He was shooting for the popular Star Jalsha show, Bholebaba Paar Karega, with his co-star Sweta Mishra. As per ANI, she was rescued after slipping into a ditch, and Banerjee lost his life before receiving medical attention. Now, the Bengali film industry has called for a strike starting on April 7. The indefinite strike was announced on the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists' Forum’s Facebook page. The decision was taken on April 5.

Indefinite strike in Kolkata after Raul Arunoday Banerjee's death

According to the official statement by West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists' Forum, the members united for an emergency meeting on Sunday which was also attended by people of the Artists Forum, Federation, television producers, and directors. It was decided that, from April 7 at 7 AM, the artists and technicians will go on an indefinite strike. This measure was taken to highlight the urgent need for the right safety and security facilities for actors and other crew members working on sets – indoor and outdoor. The statement also revealed that another meeting will take place on April 7. It was further clarified that the strike does not apply to those who are currently shooting out of Kolkata and the state.

Protest march in Kolkata

A day prior, the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists' Forum held a march in Kolkata to condemn Rahul’s untimely demise. The actor’s wife, Priyanka Sarkar, joined the march and walked from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio with signs that read, 'Justice for Rahul.' Filmmakers Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, and actors Parambrata Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Riddhi Sen, and Kaushik Sen were seen among the protestors.

FIR against production house

As the investigation continues, the forum filed an FIR against Bholebaba Paar Karega’s production house, Magic Moments, as they have not addressed any of the questions asked to them in Rahul's shocking death. On April 1, the artistes’ association wrote to the producers, but did not receive any satisfactory answers a day later. As per Press Trust of India (PTI), West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists' Forum asked for ‘real truth and exact circumstances behind the incident to come to light.’

What happened to Rahul Banerjee?

On March 29, Rahul was reportedly shooting a dance sequence in knee-deep water with Sweta when they suddenly slipped into a ditch. As per the production house’s previous statement, the actor was taken to a local clinic near the Talsari beach. Due to the absence of a doctor there, he had to be rushed to Digha State General Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Rahul Banerjee's wife Priyanka Sarkar files FIR

TheOdisha Police registered an FIR at the Talasari Marine police station based on Rahul’s wife Priyanka’s complaint. As per PTI, authorities have stated that the investigation will cover all possible angles, including the possibility of negligence or even a criminal conspiracy. Officials have assured that evidence will be carefully examined before arriving at any conclusions.