Bengali Language Film Production Resumes After Boycott

Filming has resumed in Tollywood, the Bengali language film industry, after complaints were raised about the filming conflict.

Filming resumed today after the intervention of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Last week, professionals boycotted the production in which director Rahool Mukherjee is working as an art producer. On July 23, the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) had banned Mukherjee from making films for three months for violating the rules of overseas shooting in Bangladesh. The ban was later lifted by the local directors’ union on July 27, but the professional boycott continued.

The show was planned to feature actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Anirban Bhattacharya.

In a bid to show solidarity with Mukherjee, members of the East India Directors Association have announced a strike from July 29, bringing the Bengali film industry to a standstill. Top filmmakers like Aparna Sen, Kaushik Ganguly, and Srijit Mukherjee have signed a statement in support of Mukherjee posted on Facebook.

Actors Prasenjit Chatterjee and Dev, along with veteran director Goutam Ghose met minister Banerjee in an attempt to resolve the issue.

After the meeting, a press conference was held, where the local media reported several decisions from the meeting, including that going forward, FCTWEI did not have the authority to impose bans or non-cooperation agreements between industry members.

A review committee has also been announced, headed by Ghose, with Chatterjee, Dev, Sen and Aroop Biswas as the first members and representatives from all parties. They said standard operating procedures and regulatory areas for film, TV, broadcasting and independent films will be reviewed and reviewed, with a report and changes due in November.