Kolkata film industry shooting impasse ends after CM intervention

Kolkata: The impasse over shooting of films, serials and web series in the Kolkata entertainment industry ended on Tuesday following the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After three days of no work, studios will witness shooting from Wednesday.

“All stakeholders - from directors to light boys and sound recordists and hair dressers and spot boys - will act in cohesion as part of an orchestra," veteran director Goutam Ghosh told a press meet on Tuesday night.

A series of discussions among directors and technicians lobby was held on Tuesday evening, after industry representatives met the chief minister.

"Let's resume work. There should not be any more conflict, any more misunderstanding tomorrow,” Ghosh said.

Actor-producer and MP Deepak Adhikari, who is known by his screen name Dev, thanked Banerjee for her initiative to break the impasse.

"She had asked all of us to work as a family while constructively working for reforms in certain existing rules set by the federation (of industry associations) in the interest of everyone,” he said.

The directors were on cease work since Monday while the technicians had maintained they would not work under a filmmaker who was debarred from working by the federation earlier this month for allegedly violating certain norms.

"From directors having big budget to independent film-makers, from makers of short films to web series directors, everyone cannot have a large number of technicians. Similarly, the wages of technicians and other crew members need to be considered," Dev said.

He said a committee will be formed to suggest reforms in the existing rules and guidelines and make it more practical for everyone concerned. The new rules will come up by November.

"The CM had understood and appreciated our problems. She has left it for us to sort it out. She wanted us to ensure the rights of everyone are protected,” Dev said.

Bengali film superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, who was also present, said there had never been any serious conflict but only some misunderstandings.

“We are not against one another. The entire issue revolved around securing one's own rights," he said.

It was announced at the meeting between the federation and directors that filmmaker Rahool Mukherjee, whose association with a project as director led to a walkout by technicians, will continue to be associated with the film concerned.

Mukherjee, who was banned for three months by the federation for going to Bangladesh to shoot a web series without allegedly informing the technicians guild, will be present at the shooting floor after a week, a director said.

Bengali superstar Prasenjit Chatterjee, actor-turned-TMC MP Dev and director Gautam Ghosh, along with minister Arup Biswas met Banerjee at the secretariat and held talks for nearly 35 minutes.

A spokesperson of the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists Forum said no shooting for any film, web series or mega serial took place on Tuesday, too.