Documentary filmmaker hangs self in south Kolkata flat

KOLKATA: Forty-eight-year-old documentary filmmaker and editor Arghya Basu, who was rescued by police from his

Santoshpur

home on Thursday, later died en route to hospital.

Preliminary post-mortem findings hinted at hanging as the cause of death. The apartment, from which he was rescued, was locked from the inside, investigators said.


Basu’s name had cropped up during the MeToo campaign, with a film director accusing him on Facebook of sexual assault. Friends and family claimed a probe at had exonerated him, but he gradually slipped into depression, for which he sought medical help.

Cops have not found any suicide note. The Survey Park police said they have sealed the house.

Basu, his friends said, had been staying with his septuagenarian mother for the past several months in their Ekdalia home, and that he occasionally visited the Santoshpur house. His close aide, Ankur Das, said his mother had been unable to reach him over telephone on Thursday. Worried, she informed some others, who sought police help.

The cops arrived at his Santoshpur flat but had to break open the door after getting no response. “We found him and he was immediately shifted to MR Bangur Hospital. He was declared brought dead,” said an officer. Basu was alone in the flat.

A post-mortem was conducted at the Katapukur police morgue, and the cremation was on Saturday. Police said it suggested suicide.

“After the accusations against him in end-2017, he suffered bouts of depression,” said Das, who had worked closely with Basu for the past several months.

“Around April, he took his family’s advice and underwent counselling for a month. After that, he was taking up freelance work. He edited a Tamil film, which was screened at the Rotterdam film festival. He completed editing a Marathi film. Now, both of us were working to launch our own venture. He also loved to dabble in organic farming. So, this was very shocking. I have spoken to his family and they are completely devastated.”

Basu’s close friend Amlan Dutta, also a filmmaker, said: “The accusations had affected him immensely. He was my batchmate at St Xavier’s, and we kept in touch. He was a brilliant editor and lately he was trying to pick up the pieces of his life and make a fresh start. We were all hopeful. I am unable to come to terms with this.”

Aditi Sircar, another of Basu’s close friends, said: “He often used to lament that he could never shrug off the social stigma.”

Basu’s friends said they were speaking with his family to explore whether they should take any legal action.

The cops said a case of unnatural death had been lodged. No formal complaint has been lodged yet. “A probe will be conducted to find out the circumstances leading to the death. If any complaint is made, it will be looked into,” said a senior investigator.


Explore the yearly horoscope 2025 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces zodiac signs. Spread love this holiday season with these New Year wishes, messages and quotes.