Actor Rahul Arunoday passes away

A shadow of mourning has descended on Tollywood. Popular actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is no more. It is said that he drowned while shooting. The actor left for the country of which he never returned at the age of 42.

According to Anandabazar, the shooting of the serial 'Bhole Baba Par Karega' was going on at Talsari beach on Sunday. At one stage of the shooting, he went into the water. Later, when he suddenly sank, his colleagues and technicians rescued him.

He was rushed to Digha Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. Initially, it is believed that he died due to drowning.

East Medinipur District Police has confirmed the death. Additional Superintendent of Police of the district Atish Biswas said that initially it is believed that the death was due to drowning, but the entire matter is being investigated.

Bhaskar Banerjee, a co-star of the serial, said that even after everyone went for lunch after the shooting, Rahul insisted on shooting a few more scenes. After a long search for him, he was found underwater.

The exact cause of the incident is still unclear. However, the sudden death has cast a shadow of grief over Tollywood. According to colleagues, they are deeply shocked that a healthy and strong man has suddenly passed away.

Rahul was born on October 16, 1983, into a theater family. Acting was in his blood. He made his debut on stage at the age of three in the play 'Rajdarshan' with his father Vishwanath Banerjee's theater group 'Vijaygarh Atmaprakash'. After that, Rahul has done more than 450 stage shows in his long career. He was also regularly associated with groups like Theatron. This pure attraction to acting later provided him with oxygen to fight on screen.

Before entering the cinema, Rahul had solidified his ground on the small screen. His performance as Aditya in Zee Bangla's popular serial 'Khela' caught the attention of the audience. However, his life took a turn in 2008. His performance opposite Priyanka Sarkar in Raj Chakraborty's film 'Chirodini Tumi Je Amar' earned him the title of superstar overnight. Starting from the songs in the film, Rahul's innocent look is still the nostalgia of two Bengalis. He received many awards for this film. After that, he left his signature of talent in several films like Jackpot, 'Love Circus', 'Shono Man Bol Tomay', 'Pati Parameshwar'. However, Rahul was not only in the cinema, but also on the television screen. The character of Raja in the serial Desh Mati is still bright. Rahul has acted in one series after another. His last acting films were Academy of Fine Arts and Rappa Roy and Fullstop.com. It did not end here, Rahul was winning hearts on the stage in the drama 'Je Janala Gulo Akash Hai' directed by Sourav Palodhir.

Raj Chakraborty's film 'Chirdini Tumi Je Amar' turned the corner of his life. It was during this time that his on-screen love affair with co-actress Priyanka also came to fruition in real life. After a long relationship with co-actress Priyanka Sarkar, Rahul got married. Their only child, Sajjad Banerjee, was born. Although the news of their separation in 2017 broke the hearts of fans, in 2023 they forgot all the bitterness and reunited. Thinking about their son's future and drawn by their love, they started a new life. But the joy of that reunion did not last long.

Rahul's departure means the departure of a skilled actor as well as a fearless stage performer. This Ashutosh College alumnus and Naktala High School student was always known as an outspoken speaker. The beloved actor may have left forever, but the characters he played will remain 'forever' in the hearts of Bengalis.