Kolkata, April 7 Shooting for soaps, web series, and films in various studios in Kolkata came to a halt on Tuesday morning as artistes called for a work stoppage, demanding proper safety arrangements at their workplace.
The West Bengal Motion Picture Artistes' Forum stated that the work stoppage will continue until a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is formulated and implemented to ensure the safety and security of actors, crew, and other members of every production unit.
The artistes launched the protest after actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee drowned in the sea during an outdoor shoot of a Bengali soap near Digha in Purba Medinipur district on March 29.
The forum held a meeting in the morning at the technician's studio to draft recommendations for the SOP, which will be submitted to channels and production houses for urgent implementation.
The forum's general secretary, Shantilal Mukherjee, had on Sunday said that no artiste, technician, or spot boy will work on the shooting floor or outdoors without full implementation of a proper SOP.
Mukherjee said on Tuesday that talks are underway among all stakeholders, including production houses, actors, technicians, and the Eastern India Motion Pictures Association, on the issue.
"We stand firm and united regarding our demand," he said.
Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers president, Swaroop Biswas, also supported the decision, saying that the SOP is essential to prevent any further accidents.
"We are on a work stoppage until the SOP is framed and adopted, taking into account the safety and security concerns of every member of the cast and crew, both inside and outside the set. We are having discussions with representatives from channels and production houses on the issue," director Kaushik Ganguly had earlier said.
"We all know how the cancellation of a day's shooting causes financial strain on every stakeholder. But a few days of sacrifice will ensure that the actors, technicians, and crew members safely return home after their work," Ganguly had said.
Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee said that the sudden death of Rahul has highlighted many loopholes in the shooting system.
"We don't want to take sides or judge anyone. All we want is a safety and security cover," he said.
On Saturday, the forum filed an FIR with the Kolkata Police against the producers of the serial, casting Rahul, and accused them of conducting the shoot in a "negligent manner". His wife, Priyanka Sarkar, also filed an FIR with the Odisha Police as the incident took place at Talsari in the neighbouring state.
"We want the truth and the exact circumstances behind the incident to come to light," Santilal Mukherjee had told reporters.
