Artistes slam director over sexual remark

KOLKATA/BURDWAN: Bengal’s culture fraternity on Thursday came down heavily on director Premangshu Roy, who has been accused of making sexual remarks at a theatre workshop in Burdwan, which is being conducted by the Minerva Natyasanskriti Charchakendra. The workshop, titled ‘Play to Production’, began on October 8. It was supposed to conclude on October 13 but had to be wrapped up a day in advance after a video recording of the allegations of participants at the workshop went viral on Thursday.Roy was then removed from the workshop trainer’s position.
On Thursday, Burdwan SP Kunal Agarwal told TOI: “We received information of trouble brewing at Burdwan Rabindra Bhawan. But on reaching the spot, we found no one wanted to lodge an official complaint.”
Kajal Bhattacharya, administrative officer of Minerva Natyasanskriti Charchakendra, said: “We have spoken to all the participants and noted down their complaints. We will submit signed versions of the complaints as part of our inquiry.”
Theatre artistes protested against the incident. Theatre personality Debesh Chattopadhyay said the fault lay with those who selected someone as unqualified as Roy. “Today, some theatre producers are members of Paschimbanga Natya Academy. Such abuse of power is creating problems,” Chattopadhyay said.
Theatre personality Abanti Chakraborty called this ‘a dark day of Bengali theatre’.
Actors Joyraj Bhattacharjee, Turna Das, Sourav Palodhi and Panchali Kar have organized a protest meeting on Friday evening at the Academy of Fine Arts. “Roy ensured a year’s association with the theatre group against an hour of sex. We want immediate intervention of the CM as well as suo motu FIR to be initiated against Roy,” one of them said.
Mumbai-based theatre personality Suman Mukhopadhyay said, “Theatre in Bengal has no role model now. Strong action should be taken against Roy.”
Theatre personality-turned-Trinamool MP Arpita Ghosh, who is a member of Minerva Natyasanskriti Charchakendra said she has asked organization chairperson Indranil Sen to take stringent action. According to Ghosh, it was Bratya Basu who had suggested Roy’s name as a mentor for this post. “Bratya’s name is getting dragged in because he recommended Premangshu’s name and the two of them have collaborated in a film and a play ,” Ghosh added.
Basu, who is also a member of the organization, said: “I am out of the country and have briefly heard about the issue. I have never supported any wrong and I am not doing it now.”