Kolkata Artists’ Forum calls indefinite strike over actor Rahul Banerjee’s death

The Artists’ Forum in Kolkata has called an indefinite strike across studios following the untimely death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, demanding stricter safety measures on film sets.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held at Technicians Studio on Sunday (April 5)

The work stoppage will take effect from Tuesday.

Among others, leading actors including Kaushik Ganguly, Abir Chatterjee, Kaushik Sen, Ishaa Saha, and Jitu Kamal attended the meeting.

Artists’ Forum General Secretary Shantilal Mukherjee said the strike would continue until authorities ensure adequate safety protocols on sets.

The decision has the backing of around 4,000 forum members and 7,000 technicians affiliated with the federation.

Veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee said Rahul’s death has united the industry and brought the issue of on-set safety into sharp focus.

Actress Rituparna Sengupta described the movement as “a fight for humanity,” vowing to continue until the truth behind the incident is uncovered.

Federation president Swarup Biswas said the strike was not their preferred option but became necessary to ensure safety.

Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died on March 29 after drowning during a shoot at Talsari Beach.