Future of Rahool Mukherjee’s Puja film uncertain, suspension remains

KOLKATA: A day after the production house publicly announced that Rahul Mukherjee had stepped down as the director of the new Bengali film starring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Anirban Bhattacharya, following a three-month suspension notice from the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) due to issues related to a Bangladeshi project, the situation has become more complicated. Cinematographer Soumik Haldar has taken over as director, with Rahul now acting as the creative producer. However, on Tuesday night after a marathon meeting, director Sudeshna Roy, general secretary of the Directors’ Guild and vice president of the federation, informed: “I don’t know what a creative producer is. If he has been suspended, then he can’t do any shooting related work for three months beginning July 20 till October 19. And in his case, the suspension remains because he has done an unlawful task.” For those unfamiliar with the situation, last year Bangladeshi OTT platform Chorki announced projects in Kolkata, including one titled ‘Lahu’, directed by Rahool Mukherjee. However, disagreements arose between the Federation and Chorki over payment regulations. As a result, the shooting was halted in Kolkata. Rahool and his team then proceeded to Bangladesh to complete the filming, which didn’t go down well with the Federation. They took the issue to the Directors’ Guild, and after discussions, Rahool was issued a three-month suspension. “He apologised but we said that others, too, were suspended for three-months for such acts. In the eyes of the Federation, all are equal,” said Roy.

Meanwhile, FCTWEI’s move has not been well-received by the Bengal filmmakers. Several directors have already taken to social media in support of Rahool, whose new film was supposed to release on Durga Puja. Directors Raj Chakraborty, Srijit Mukherji, Arindam Sil, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly and others have opposed the ban. The situation took a political turn when TMC leader Kunal Ghosh spoke out in support of young director Rahool. “Even if director Rahool Mukherjee made a mistake, I don’t support the punishment. A discussion could have taken place. Some actions by the Federation are harming Tollywood. Producers and directors are getting frustrated, and the working environment is suffering. No one is speaking up now, but it’s affecting the future. This is creating obstacles for getting more work in the industry,” he posted on social media.