The Bengali entertainment industry has been shaken by the death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, who died after drowning while shooting for a soap opera.
The industry, or Tollywood, has called for an indefinite strike starting from April 7 to demand safety and security measures on film sets, TV shows, and web series.
An official statement from the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists Forum was shared on Facebook after a meeting attended by industry members, including Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta.
The statement read, 'We had organised an emergency meeting on April 5. It was decided that, from April 7, 2026, at 7 AM, we, the artists and technicians, will go on an indefinite strike. Until there is a step taken to ensure the safety and security of artists and technicians during a shoot (both indoors and outdoors), the strike will continue.'
Rahul was 43 years old and was shooting alongside co-actor Sweta Mishra when he drowned in a ditch while performing a dance sequence.
His wife Priyanka Sarkar has requested space and privacy during this difficult time and has filed a police complaint against the producers.
Several members of the Bengali film industry held a procession and rally to demand justice for Rahul, who was a well-known name in the industry.
