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14 Bengali film directors file petitions over cine technicians’ demands
The impasse began in July 2024 after FCTWEI called a strike, saying Rahul Mukherjee, a young director, “cannot work as a director” as he had “violated rules”
Kolkata: At least 14 directors of the Bengali movie industry have separately filed petitions before the Calcutta high court, saying that the conditions and demands imposed by an umbrella body of cine technicians have affected their fundamental right to work guaranteed by the Constitution, multiple petitioners said on Wednesday.
The petitioners, including directors Parambrata Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, Sudeshna Roy, Indranil Roychowdhury and Subrata Sen, moved the high court over the last week. Bidula Bhattacharya, an independent director, was the first to file the petition.
The petitions are expected to be heard by the high court on Thursday.
“We are not against the FCTWEI (Federation of Cine Technicians of Eastern India) but there must be a clarity on what it can and cannot do. Its decisions and diktats led to suspension of shootings on numerous occasions, leading to financial loss. It controls virtually everything. For example, FCTWEI has not given the health insurance cards issued by the state government to many members without assigning any reason,” one of the petitioners said.
“Those who have spoken in public against the federation have been selectively targeted,” the petitioner alleged.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Swarup Biswas, the younger brother of West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas, is the president of FCTWEI, the umbrella body. The petitioners are also members of FCTWE, although they have their respective federations.
HT tried to contact Swaroop Biswas on Wednesday evening, but his secretary said he was busy in a meeting.
On Tuesday, Biswas told reporters, "Let us first hear what the petitioners have to say in court. We will give our reply accordingly".
“Minister Aroop Biswas and Indranil Sen held meetings with us and tried to solve these issues but nothing worked out,” Sudeshna Roy, the vice-president and secretary of the old directors’ federation under FCTWEI, said.
“A new directors’ federation has been formed to include those who are not against the umbrella body,” a FCTWEI member said.
The impasse began in July 2024 after FCTWEI called a strike, saying Rahul Mukherjee, a young director, “cannot work as a director” as he had “violated rules” by completing the shooting of a Bangladeshi series in Bangladesh after shooting for four days in Kolkata.
“Mukherjee was suspended by the Director’s Guild for three months following a decision taken by FCTWEI,” Swarup Biswas said. The Guild lifted the suspension order on July 26.
FCTWEI said that Mukherjee can work as creative producer for an upcoming movie, but it has to be directed by Soumik Haldar.
“How can the technicians’ body decide who can be a director and who cannot. This is unheard of,” national award-winning director Gautam Ghosh said on July 29, 2024, after the directors met at actor Prasenjit Chatterjee’s residence. Director Raj Chakraborty, a TMC legislator, and actor Deepak Adhikari, a TMC Lok Sabha member, expressed their solidarity with the directors.
The directors resumed work on July 31 after chief minister Mamata Banerjee met some of them and said differences with the technicians’ body should be resolved through talks.
“The situation, however, did not change. Things came to a point where we had no option but to move court,” another petitioner said.
