Why it took Bengali film industry 6 years to say #MeToo

New Delhi:

On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Unfortunately, rape and murder are not uncommon in our country. What caught the eye in the case of R. G. Kar, is that the rape and murder happened in the doctor’s workplace.

So women of all age groups across West Bengal took to the streets and participated in vigilance marches to seek justice for R. G. Kar.

The message was loud and clear: “Enough.”

The following month, an influential Bengali director who had been accused of sexual harassment by several women over the years was again accused of the same.

The scene was set. With woman after woman from Tollywood speaking #MeToo, the complaint did not go unnoticed this time. The directors’ guild suspended the director for an indefinite period.

#MeToo is not new to the Bengali film industry. But 2024 made it louder. The City of Joy has finally shaken off its decades of indifference to atrocities against women (physical, verbal, sexual) after the shocking RG Kar incident.

Later, the Bengali film industry (popularly known as Tollywood) also raised its voice – “We want justice”; #MeToo, justice for on-set misbehavior, against lewd comments, against lewd gestures are all easily bypassed in an industry where the concept of consent is always “taken for granted.”

Arindam Seal accused of #MeToo, FIR registered

A popular television actress has complained to director Arindam Sil about sexual harassment on the set. The complaint was registered with the Women’s Commission in September 2024. According to the complaint, the director was summoned for questioning.

The actress claimed that the director “kissed” her on the “pretext” of explaining a scene during the shooting of the film, Ekti Huner Sondhane Mitin.

Arindam Sil

Arindam Seal, director of films like Har Har Byomkesh, Iholer Chokh, Dhananjay, initially claimed that it was “unintentional (reported Anandabazar Patrika).” The women’s commission forced the director and the actress to sit down for a transparent meeting.

Later, the director apologized to the actress on paper.

The actress also filed an FIR against Arindam Sil at the Bishnupur (Diamond Harbour) police station as the shooting took place at a resort in the area.

Arindam Seal has been suspended indefinitely by the Directors Guild following the allegations.

Back in September of last year, the accused director told Anandabazar Patrika“I apologized. I was still suspended without any consultation. I will take legal advice.”

Rupanjana Mitra – Whistleblower

Five years ago, another popular TV actress, Rupanjana Mitra, publicly called out Arindam Seal for #MeToo. The incident happened in 2017, and in 2019, the actress spoke about it in public.

When asked why it took her two years to open up, Rupanjana Mitra had this to say NDTV this week: “My child was 4 years old at the time. Now he is 11. I had a contract with the channel. Challenging him (Arindam Seel) would have ramifications for my personal and professional life.”

When Rupanjana Mitra first accused the “powerful” director of misconduct, she faced the wrath of many insiders. But the actress believed in “karma” and this time the hands of the clock turned in her favor.

“This time, when another actress accused him, those who didn’t believe me before changed their point of view. Swastika Mukherjee openly supported me. She even said that this “punishment” belongs,” Mitra said. NDTV.

Right from the start, Rupanjana Mitra created a no-nonsense image of herself in the industry. After operating successfully for many decades, if it had to face such harassment, does the Bengali industry offer any hope to newcomers?

“I was only 19 at the time. A woman who previously worked de facto between the producer and the casting director called me to the emergency room. Later it turned out that the woman called many newcomers for “evil motives”. .

“I filed a complaint against her at the Garia police station. Then I also filed a complaint at the Artists Forum. Roopa Ganguly was part of the body then,” the actress recalled.

On another occasion, Rupanjana Mitra was kicked out of the show when she called out a senior actor for his inappropriate behavior on the sets. Then she was no longer a novice.

Sudipta Chakraborty who worked in Arindam Sil under the guidance DhananjayI did not have any unpleasant experience with the director.

“I didn’t encounter anything unpleasant with him. That doesn’t mean the other women who accused him are lying.

“This is the profession of a freelancer. Knowing the consequences — which may affect their future job opportunities — of women opening up, I think these accounts need to be believed and women need to be morally supported,” said the actress. NDTV.

#MeToo blamed on Bengali theatre

The Bengali theater space has seen turbulent times not just in films, after actor and acting coach Damini Benny Basu called out theater luminary Suman Mukhopadhyay for supporting the #MeToo accused actor.

Mukhopadhyay condemned for playing a man accused of sexual assault in his play Tiner Talwar (by Utpal Dutta) in April 2024.

The accused, Sudipto Chatterjee, was called out by several women at the height of the #MeToo movement in 2018-2019.

Two police complaints were also lodged against him – one at Pulbagan police station and the other at Belyagat police station. Cases are still pending.

Challenging Suman Mukhopadhyay’s silence, Damini Basu wrote on social media in April: “Our hearts are breaking now that you choose radio silence over what matters most, in terms of dehumanizing the struggles of so many women, girls and young men who are fighting for their rights on their own security in the theater space.

“Isn’t our security, our persecution or abuse political?”bhodro” is it “disturbing” enough for any of you to talk about?” Basu wrote.

Muhomuhi, the theater group that produced the play, eventually issued a statement on behalf of all cast and crew members. Tiner Tolovar.

The statement said, “Sudipto Chatterjee is no longer involved in the production. He was asked to leave after the first show. It was our wrong decision to include him in the play. We immediately corrected our mistake and removed him from the cast. “

In an open letter published in a Bengali daily, Suman Mukhopadhyay wrote that if he had hurt people’s feelings, he was sorry.

“After choosing Sudipto, I am very sorry if I hurt people’s feelings. The people protesting did not accept the fact that Sudipto was no longer part of the play.

“They say that I quietly removed him from the play. I don’t see why this is wrong. Do they want me to call Sudipto before the play and announce that he is out of the play?” – says Suman’s open letter.

“I staged more than 25 plays. I have made ten films and I have never faced such a situation. Even after all that, if I end up putting people in the industry at risk, that’s really sad. I have no right to work in the theater anymore,” wrote Suman Mukhopadhyay.

When asked about the challenges Damini Basu faced in building the #MeToo movement against prominent personalities, Chotolok said the actor NDTV“The efficiency sector is built on contradictions. Its essence is instability. It demands excellence but refuses to recognize itself as an industry, leaving workers unprotected.

“Violence – whether emotional, financial or physical – is widespread and often ignored. Those in power get away with it because silence and complicity have become a survival tactic for many,” Basu said.

The actress continued: “At the same time, many who criticize violence also struggle to acknowledge their own role in perpetuating it in these harmful systems, which makes accountability even more difficult. .”

Ritabhari Chakraborty met the Chief Minister and demanded a body similar to the Hem Committee

Along the line in The Ham Committee (an advisory committee formed by the Kerala government in July 2017 to look into issues related to sexual violence and gender inequality), Bengali actress Ritabhari Chakraborty called on women in the Bengali film industry to speak out against sexual harassment in the workplace on Facebook. post in September. She also tagged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her post.

After her Facebook post, the CM called Ritabhara to meet her in Nabanna. Ritabhari shared with Anandabazar Patrika what will the committee look like. The CM will form a committee of five ministers who will pass a set of guidelines after a thorough study of the Hema Committee report. An investigative commission will also be established.

The five-person committee will be headed by the former head of the court. The committee will also include police officers, psychologists, and lawyers. Ritabhari also asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee not to leave anyone from the industry in the committee. The artist informed the mass media that the prime minister fulfilled her request.

During a one-on-one meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ritabhari Chakraborty also accused two “influential” producers of sexual harassment.

Hope in the age of #MeToo

Prominent Bengali actresses, writers, filmmakers have formed a forum called “Women’s Forum for Film Workers” to address the grievances of women facing workplace violence following the Arindam Seal case.

Aparna Sen, Damini Benny Basu and Sudipta Chakraborty are members of this forum. The forum is working to create a safer future and a hassle-free workplace for women in Bengali industry.

After all, the show must go on.