Published: 12:54 PM, 07 April 2026
Bengal film industry shuts down over actor Rahul Banerjee's death
All film and television shoots in West Bengal have been suspended indefinitely from Tuesday, 7 April, following the death of Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, who drowned whilst filming a scene for a television serial at Talsari Beach on 29 March.
The suspension was announced by the West Bengal Artists' Forum after a meeting at Technicians' Studio in Kolkata. It is a decision that has halted one of India's most prolific regional entertainment industries - and it has been a long time coming.
There are also reports suggesting that the production did not have the required permissions from local authorities to shoot at Talsari Beach. No one from the production house has publicly accepted responsibility.
On 4 April, Banerjee's wife, actress Priyanka Sarkar, joined members of the Artists' Forum in a protest march from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio in Kolkata. Prominent figures including Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, and actors Parambrata Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Riddhi Sen, and Kaushik Sen were present.
Protesters carried placards reading "Justice for Rahul." The same day, an FIR was filed at the Regent Park police station against the production company responsible for the shoot.
