Kolkata, April 7 (NationPress) In a significant move, actors and technicians from the Bengali film and television sector initiated an indefinite strike on Tuesday, expressing their outrage over the tragic demise of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, who passed away during a filming session at Odisha’s Talsari beach. The striking forum is advocating for enhanced safety protocols on production sets.

The Bharat Lakshmi Studio, located on Prince Anwar Shah Road in south Kolkata, was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning, with shooting areas secured and no technical work taking place. Security personnel were seen speculating about when filming might resume.

With no lights, cameras, or action, the absence of technicians left directors unable to continue their work, standing united with Banerjee's grieving family.

Actors and technicians were anticipated to gather at the studio later that day to join the protest and show their support. Artists over the age of 70 were exempt from participating, though many were expected to attend.

Banerjee's wife, actress Priyanka Sarkar, is also slated to join the strike. Prominent figures including Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, actress Rituparna Sengupta, and others are expected to participate. Superstar Dev along with Federation President Swarup Biswas will also be in attendance.

On March 29, the 42-year-old actor tragically lost his life while filming the television series 'Bhole Baba Paar Karega' after he entered the water as the tide rose at Talsari beach. This unfortunate event has halted operations within the Bengali film and television landscape, leaving fellow actors, directors, and technicians in disbelief over the untimely loss of Banerjee, who is survived by his mother, wife Priyanka Sarkar, and their 13-year-old son.

A segment of artists is demanding a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident along with calls for mandatory safety measures, including the availability of an ambulance at every shooting site.

Priyanka Sarkar has lodged a complaint at both the Regent Park police station in Kolkata and the Talsari police station in Odisha, filing an FIR against five individuals from the production company 'Magic Moments', responsible for the filming at Talsari beach.

Rahul, who gained recognition in the Bengali television industry for his character roles, had been actively involved in various soaps for many years. He rose to fame with his performance in the hit film 'Chirodini tumi je amar' in 2008, followed by successes like 'Tumi asbe bole' (2014), 'Zulfiqar' (2016), 'Byomkesh Gotro' (2018), and 'Biday Byomkesh' (2018), among others. He also appeared in TV serials such as 'Hargouri pice hotel' and 'Mohonna'.