Directors’ body to take legal recourse against Federation

Kolkata: The Directors’ Association of Eastern India (DAEI) has decided to take legal action against the Federation of Cine Technicians & Workers of Eastern for allegedly unconstitutional activities. At a press conference on Tuesday at Press Club, DAEI president Subrata Sen said: “We are taking legal steps against the unconstitutional directives imposed on our directors, technicians and others involved in the industry by the Federation. We have decided to file a case with the Competition Commission of India after consulting with lawyers in Delhi.”

Sen also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the illegal mandates and called for the government to establish a clear framework for the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, a few months ago, a controversy arose within Tollywood between the Federation and directors regarding Rahul Mukherjee’s Durga Puja film. The situation escalated and the directors even decided to go on a strike. CM Mamata Banerjee had to intervene and urged the directors to return to work. Following her instructions, a committee was formed, comprising Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev, filmmaker Goutam Ghose and two state ministers, Aroop Biswas and Indranil Sen. The committee was tasked with submitting its report by November 30.

DAEI secretary Sudeshna Roy, however, expressed disappointment and said that three months have passed but no notification has been issued despite repeated reminders. The directors also highlighted 15 issues against the Federation, including forcing the recruitment of extra crew members, delays in granting membership to eligible individuals, and unauthorised changes to shooting schedules among the many irregularities.

On Tuesday, directors, including Kaushik Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee, Indranil Roychowdhury, Joydeep Mukherjee and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, also voiced their concerns.