Kolkata, April 5 A group of artists in West Bengal called for an indefinite "strike" in the film and television industry, demanding proper safety arrangements during their work.
This move came days after actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee drowned in the sea during an outdoor shoot near Digha in Purba Medinipur district.
The West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum held a meeting and decided that unless a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is framed and adopted, following discussions among all stakeholders, including production houses, actors, and technicians, they will cease work from 10 am on April 6.
Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers president Swaroop Biswas, also present at the meeting, supported the decision, saying that an SOP is essential to prevent future mishaps.
"We will go on strike until an SOP is framed and adopted, taking into account the safety and security concerns of all members of the cast and crew, both inside and outside the sets. We had a discussion with representatives from channels and production houses, and we all agreed on this," director Kaushik Ganguly 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. We simply want a safety and security measure," he said.
"We all know how a day's shooting can cause financial stress for everyone involved. But a few days of sacrifice will ensure that the actors, technicians, and crew members can safely return home after work," Ganguly said.
A day ago, the forum filed a police complaint against the producers of the serial, casting Rahul, accusing them of conducting the shoot in a "negligent manner".
"We want the truth and the exact circumstances of the incident to be revealed," Santilal Mukherjee, the general secretary of the forum, told reporters.
"On March 29, during the shooting of the television serial 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' at Talsari near Digha, our colleague and forum member, actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, tragically passed away due to accidental drowning," the forum said in a statement on Friday night.