The controversy surrounding Rahool Mukherjee’s ban in Tollywood continues to simmer, with the federation president Swarup Biswas reiterating that the ban will not be lifted easily. In an interview with Anandabazar, Biswas clarified that the federation is unwilling to remove the ban on Rahool Mukherjee despite the Directors Guild’s threat to dissolve if the ban is not lifted.
Rahool was banned for allegedly violating federation rules by working on a series called Lahu for Bangladesh’s OTT medium Charki without informing the federation. The shooting was supposed to take place in Kolkata, but due to issues with working conditions, the team decided to shoot in Bangladesh instead.
Biswas stated that a meeting has been called on Thursday involving all guilds to discuss the matter, but the federation’s stance remains unchanged. He also acknowledged that there has been a long-standing anger among members regarding the federation’s policies, which has come to the forefront through this incident.
The federation president emphasized that if artisans are paid fairly and work properly, there is no need for policy enforcement. However, Raj Chakraborty, a member of the federation and Trinamool leader, opposed this stance and expressed his opinion without informing the federation first.
Rahool Mukherjee’s actions have ignited a fiery debate in the industry, with some insiders fervently supporting his actions and others vehemently opposing them. Notably, Raj Chakraborty, along with Kunal Ghosh, Riddhi Sen, Aneek Dutta, Kamleshwar Mukherjee have come out in strong support of Rahool.
The meeting on Thursday will be a watershed moment to determine the fate of Rahool Mukherjee’s ban. As of now, the federation’s stance remains unwavering. The industry is acutely aware of the meeting’s significance, which will have profound implications for the future of Tollywood.