Split wide open over studio renovation

“They said some renovation work is going on but I do not see that. I was forced out. As a result I have to work from a private film studio. Every day artistes and other film crew are being harassed,insulted,even beaten up. They are not allowed to work freely. Fatwas are being issued to hire people who do not know anything about film making,” Majumdar said at the seminar.

Majumdar,who has films like Shriman Pritwiraj,Dhonni Meye,Sansar Shimante,Fuleshwari,Ganadevata to his credit,also accused the state government of creating chaos and mayhem in the film industry,just as it is doing in the field of education. Thus the government is “standing in the way” of a flourishing film industry.

Speaking to The Indian Express later,Majumdar stuck to his allegations. “I was working on a serial for a TV channel but I was hounded out,” he said.

Majumdar’s comments evoked sharp responses from artistes close to the Trinamool Congress.

Actor Dipankar Dey said,“It’s sad to hear that a legendary film maker like Majumdar is commenting like this. The state government has asked all the members of the Artistes Forum (situated at Technicians’ Studio) to shift to a nearby place within the studio so that the agency hired by the government can start its construction work. We cannot say that he was not allowed to work in the studio. I respect Majumdar but I cannot accept what he said.”

Ranjit Mullick,another actor who is close to TMC,said he was aware that the government is trying to upgrade Technicians’ Studio,but he did not want to comment on Majumdar’s statement.

Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee,who is close to the CPM,said,“For the last eight months I have not worked at Technicians’ Studio,so I cannot say anything.”

Technicians’ Studio at Tollygunge,where legends like Pramatesh Barua,Kanan Devi,Prithwiraj Kapoor once worked,is spread over 200 cottahs of land. During the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regime,efforts were made to privatise the studio.

However,the process of renovation of the heritage building met with stiff opposition from actors like Soumitra Chatterjee and Prasenjit Chatterjee,who were part of an organisation called Artistes Forum. The forum had its office in the studio.

When the new government came to power,it decided to renovate the entire studio. Construction work has begun at the site.