The Bengali film industry is facing a major disruption as multiple film shoots have come to a halt due to technicians refusing to report to sets. Filmmakers Sudeshna Roy, Anirban Bhattacharya, and Kingshuk De have all seen their projects stalled, reportedly after signing a writ petition against the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India.
The dispute has been simmering for over a year, rooted in allegations that the federation interferes in various aspects of filmmaking, from hiring technicians to even selecting caterers. Last year, tensions escalated when the federation banned filmmaker Rahool Mukherjee for shooting in Bangladesh without informing them, prompting directors to cease work and approach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
While the CM had promised to form a high-powered committee to resolve the issues, filmmakers say no official notification followed. A brief, unofficial meeting may have occurred, but with no formal progress, the situation worsened, as per media reports.
In October, over 100 filmmakers filed a defamation suit against federation head Swarup Biswas after he alleged that 60% of harassment complaints in the industry were against directors. Many directors have since withdrawn from the suit.
During a recent hearing, the Calcutta High Court was informed that three shoots had been stopped as technicians backed out. The court reaffirmed its earlier ruling that no party should interfere with a filmmaker’s right to livelihood.
Filmmaker Sudeshna Roy said technicians began dropping out without explanation shortly after the court order. “I have not been able to return to the sets. I was never given any reasons why the technicians dropped out one after the other. I can only guess it is because of the petition,” she said. (As quoted by Telegraph Online)
The state government has now promised a fresh round of meetings with both sides to seek a resolution. The industry awaits a breakthrough.
