Actor Rahul Banerjee's death: All film, TV shoots in Bengal suspended from Tuesday

Tollywood has come to a standstill after the death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee. The incident, which occurred in Odisha, prompted a suspension of all shoots from April 7, 2026, across industry.

In Short

• Tollywood suspends all film and television shoots from Tuesday
• Emergency meeting held with leading artists and technicians
• FIR filed against production company directors for negligence

The Bengali film industry has come to a halt following the death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee. From April 7, 2026, all film and television shoots will be suspended as the industry calls for strict safety protocols for artists and crew, the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists’ Forum announced.

The decision was made at an emergency meeting on Sunday, attended by prominent artists and technicians including Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Shantilal Mukherjee, and Swaroop Biswas, along with several directors, producers, and channel representatives.

The West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists’ Forum filed an FIR on Saturday against the directors of the production company responsible for the serial Rahul was shooting at the time of his death. The FIR was lodged at Regent Park police station and names the directors of Magic Moments Motion Picture.

Charges in the FIR include criminal conspiracy, causing death by rash and negligent acts, and providing false information, according to Rupesh Kumar, joint commissioner (crime) of Kolkata Police. The complaint was filed by Shantilal Mukherjee, general secretary of the forum, and was supported by Rahul’s wife Priyanka Sarkar, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Srijit Mukherji, and other industry veterans.

Police sources stated that a zero FIR was registered, allowing the complaint to be filed at any police station regardless of where the incident occurred. The FIR will be transferred to the police jurisdiction where the incident took place for further investigation.

What happened to Rahul Arunoday Banerjee?

Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is believed to have died while attempting to save a woman co-actor who slipped into a depression on an uneven beach at Talsari in Odisha during a shoot on March 29. His post-mortem report revealed that his lungs were filled with a large quantity of sand and saline water.

The co-actor was rescued quickly, but it took time to pull Rahul out. The 42-year-old actor, writer, and podcast host was taken to Digha State General Hospital, 11 kilometres from Talsari, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The production house denied allegations of negligence and stated that it had permission for the shoot.

On Saturday evening, a rally was held by actors, technicians, producers, and exhibitors demanding justice for Rahul. Participants, wearing black badges, marched around 1.5 kilometres from the Technicians’ Studio to Raha Studio near MR Bangur Hospital.

- Ends