Rahul's death: Tollywood calls off strike, announces Magic Moments boycott
What's the story
The tragic death of Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. Tollywood had called an indefinite strike since Tuesday to demand answers and accountability for Banerjee's untimely demise. However, after meetings at Technician's Studio in Tollygunge, the strike was called off. In a press conference, veteran actors Ranjit Mallick and Prosenjit Chatterjee announced a boycott of Magic Moments, the production house behind the serial Banerjee was shooting at the time of his death.
Statement
'We will not work with any of the makers'
Chatterjee said, "We will not work with any of the makers associated with the serial or the production banner till we learn how Banerjee passed away." He added that while this boycott would continue, shooting for other projects would resume from Wednesday. The press conference was attended by several industry stalwarts, including Dev, Abir Chatterjee, Koyel Mallick, Rituparna Sengupta, and Aparajita Auddy. Many artistes and technicians have decided not to work on projects associated with writer Leena Gangopadhyay for now.
Incident details
Meanwhile, here's what we know about Banerjee's tragic death
The lead of Bhole Baba Par Karega, Banerjee was reportedly shooting for a boat sequence in Talsari (near Digha) when he lost his balance and fell into the sea. Crew members immediately jumped in to rescue him, but it took nearly an hour to pull him out. Despite being rushed to Digha State General Hospital, doctors couldn't save him. Since then, the industry has been demanding answers and accountability for this tragic incident.
Quote
His family deserves to know the truth: Chatterjee
"This (the protest) is for Rahul's mother, wife, son and loved ones who deserve to know the truth," Chatterjee maintained. The West Bengal Motion Picture Artists's Forum has filed a police complaint against Magic Moments Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd for allegedly engaging in a criminal conspiracy.
Demands
Too many versions are out there: Sengupta
Speaking about the incident, Sengupta said, "We have lost him to an accident which happened during the shooting. We need to know whether safety measures were in place, whether any permission was obtained, and whether people were there. Because nothing is clear now; there are too many versions out there." Banerjee was married to fellow actor Priyanka Sarkar, and they shared a son together.