Indefinite strike announced to protest Rahul’s death

The Bengali film and television industries will come to a standstill today following a directive issued by the Artists’ Forum in coordination with technicians’ bodies. The directive mandates a complete suspension of all shoots, including films, TV serials and web series, across the state until further notice. The decision was finalised at an emergency meeting held at Technicians Studio on Sunday evening, attended by members of the forum and Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India, television producers,directors, and several leading industry figures. Among those present were Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Saswata Chatterjee and Shantilal Mukherjee. Swarup Biswas, president of the Federation, was also present, along with Rahul’s wife and actor Priyanka Sarkar.Artistes, crew members, and everyone involved need protection while they work. Safety must be mandatory for all, because everyone is deeply shaken by this incident– Prosenjit ChatterjeeThe way Rahul left us is not acceptable and we’ll fight till the end. His death has brought us together, raising the question, ‘Are we safe at all?’ We feel our lives are at stake – Rituparna SenguptaFilm, TV soaps, web show shoots to take a hitThe halt is expected to disrupt ongoing projects across Tollygunge and surrounding production hubs. Shooting of films, daily soaps, and web series are likely to remain stalled, directly impacting release schedules and broadcast timelines. However, the suspension does not apply to units that are already shooting outdoors. The immediate impact of the strike will be visible from today itself, with several shoots being called off. The web series Taarkata, starring Priyanka Sarkar and Vikram Chatterjee, cancelled its shoot for the day owing to the strike. Similarly, shooting for Abhhiman was halted, despite an important sequence featuring Jisshu U Sengupta and Prosenjit Chatterjee being scheduled.Speaking to us, director Indraadip Das Gupta said, “The industry remains in shock over Rahul’s sudden demise, and everyone feels a strong need for proper clarification on what happened. While work will eventually resume, and the incident is understood to be an accident, the need for clarity remains crucial.”This fight has begun to ensure safety for artistes & technicians: Tollywood unites in demand for safety and accountabilityCalling the incident a case of “gross negligence” and a failure to adhere to basic safety protocols, the Artists’ Forum has made it clear that the suspension will continue until concrete steps are taken to ensure the safety of actors and crew members, both for indoor and outdoor shoots, along with clear progress in the ongoing investigation in Rahul’s death.The forum’s president Shantilal Mukherjee stated that the decision to halt shoots indefinitely was taken collectively by 4,000 members of the forum, 7,000 members of the Federation, and the wider crew community. “This fight has begun to ensure safety for all and to protect our lives. We feel insecure. We step out for shoots not knowing whether we will return or not. Rahul’s tragedy has been a wake-up call for the industry. We will observe a strike from this morning onwards. All artistes and technicians will be a part of it, and it will continue till adequate safety measures are put in place for everyone,” he said. Swarup Biswas, presidentof Federation, echoed the concern, adding that while the industry did not want such a shutdown, the lack of accountability left them with no choice. He pointed out that artistes and crew routinely work in risky conditions, across locations, without hesitation. “We allwant to save this industry. Lakhs of people depend on it for their livelihood,” he said. Prosenjit highlighted how Rahul’s death has brought the industry together. There is also a demand for stricter safety protocols across all productions. Among the immediate suggestions is the mandatory presence of an ambulance at every shoot.Accidents happen suddenly and can’t be predicted, but there must be rules to ensure that the dignity of the artiste and their family remains intact – Kaushik GangulyThere may not always be a next time: Arka GangulyThe incident has triggered widespread emotional reactions within the industry. Leena Gangopadhyay’s son Arka Ganguly took to social media and penned a heartfelt note on Rahul’s death saying, “That day, I was in Kolkata and planned to meet him. He said he’d be there till 4pm. I said I’d confirm. But I never did. At times you don’t realise that there may not be a next time. We did meet again – at Keoratala crematorium. I stood in a corner. He couldn’t see us. Or maybe he could – who knows.”Arka emphasised that while he was not present at the time of the accident, and could not comment as a witness, the family has every right to know the truth. He also urged restraint regarding demands to make sensitive footage public, stating that while investigation and accountability are essential, certain boundaries must be respected. “If there is even a 1% chance of negligence, it must be probed,” he said, while questioning whether Rahul would have been comfortable seeing some of the faces leading the protests.The Federation & EIMPA’s move to demand safety is a good one. Deaths during shoots remind us that every life matters. Our response must reflect that – Arka GangulyAmbarish steps down from roles i two TV soaps, including Bhole Baba...On Monday, Rahul’s co-actor in Bhole Baba Par Karega, Ambarish Bhattacharya, took to social media to reveal that two days after Rahul’s death, he had stepped down from two TV shows of the concerned production house, including Bhole Baba.... “This is my personal decision,” he wrote. He also supported the growing demand for better safety protocols in the industry and emphasized that structured guidelines should be introduced not just for actors, but also for technicians.