- By Ridhi Suri
- Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:03 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) has imposed a three-month ban on director Rahool Mukherjee for violating rules regarding shooting in foreign countries. His failure to inform the federation or the Directors’ Association of Eastern India about his film shoot in Bangladesh led to this decision. As a result, production house SVF has replaced Mukherjee with another director, as confirmed by FCTWEI President Swarup Biswas.
Scenes of the untitled film featuring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, and Priyanka Sarkar were filmed in a neighboring country. When Rahool Mukherjee's extended absence raised concerns and he was reached for clarification, he initially stated he had traveled to Bangladesh as a tourist, according to Swarup Biswas. "He had taken the help of the technicians belonging to Dhaka film industry for shooting the project," Biswas said.
"This is not my individual decision. Various guilds under the federation took the decision," the FCTWEI head added.
Rahool Mukherjee, originally slated to direct Prosenjit Chatterjee and Anirban Bhattacharya’s upcoming film, has relinquished his directorial role and been substituted by Soumik Haldar. Despite this, Rahool will transition to the project as a creative producer, according to an official statement from the production company. The film's shooting was initially scheduled to start in mid-July.
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Following his ban, Rahool Mukherjee, refrained from commenting but shared a social media post from veteran filmmaker Anjan Dutt, thanking him for the support. Dutt criticised the ban, calling it wrong, unethical, and illegal. Mukherjee also shared a similar sentiment from acclaimed director Srijit, who emphasized that banning someone and restricting their right to work is not a constructive solution.
"Banning someone cannot be a solution, neither can clamping down on someone’s right to work. In solidarity with Rahool Mukherjee," Srijit stressed.
Banning someone cannot be a solution, neither can clamping down on someone's right to work. In solidarity with @RahoolMukherjee.
— Srijit Mukherji (@srijitspeaketh) July 23, 2024
Director Kamaleswar Mukherjee has appealed to the federation to reconsider its decision. "Investment, jobs and the number of producers are low in West Bengal. It is difficult to make a film here. If there is an obstacle in making a film, not only the director, but also the producers, actors, crew and technicians become frustrated and imperilled," he said.