KOLKATA: Three days after Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died by drowning while shooting in Odisha’s Talsari beach for the TV serial, ‘Bhole Baba Paar Karega’, the production company, Magic Moments Motion Pictures, has finally issued a statement where they mentioned that they have started speaking with their cast and crew regarding the incident. In the statement issued on Wednesday, the production house stated that they would need a few more days to gather more information to present a comprehensive and accurate report.
The production house also informed that any nominated representative from Rahul’s family, friends, or the Artists’ Forum can observe the process to ensure fair investigation of the matter. Despite the post-mortem report suggesting that Rahul’s lungs were doubled in size due to the accumulation of water and sand after remaining submerged in the water for a prolonged period, the production house stated that their preliminary understanding shows the information is “incorrect”. They said they will get the exact confirmation after obtaining the post-mortem report.
The production house also mentioned that the actor was alive when rescued from water, but was taken to a nearby clinic, which had no doctor and then to Digha Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Meanwhile, a lot of controversy has also gathered around producer Leena Gangopadhyay’s initial reaction, where she said there was not a scene involving any water body in the screenplay and that the crew had repeatedly asked Rahul not to venture into the sea. Now, blaming the dead actor has triggered controversy in the Bengali film industry.
The production also said that Gangopadhyay is willing to step down from her position as the chairperson of the West Bengal Women’s Commission to ensure an unbiased investigation.
Since the incident, the production house has come under the scanner for not procuring the necessary permission to shoot at sea and for not following the required safety precautions. Questions have been raised about the lack of safety of the actors.
However, the production house said that soon they will furnish the documents of their communications and permissions.