Shoot stalled as technicians ‘quit’ project, director Sudeshna Roy alleges federation influence
Telegraph | 18 April 2025
Work on yet another Bengali film has been stalled after technicians allegedly refused to turn up for their work.
One of the directors of the upcoming film is Sudeshna Roy, secretary of the Directors Association of Eastern India, which has been at the forefront of the protests against the alleged high-handedness of a technicians’ federation owing allegiance to an influential Trinamool Congress leader.
Roy shared her ordeal in a Facebook Live session on Wednesday, from the shooting venue — an old house in north Calcutta.
Some of the senior technicians who left the project have been working with her for a long time, said Roy. None of them cited any reason for quitting her project, she added.
The shooting was supposed to have started on Friday, and Wednesday was scheduled for painting the set.
Roy alleged that the exodus of the crew members started with the production manager. The art director followed. One by one, every technician left, she alleged.
Roy is co-directing the film, tentatively titled Swapna Holeo Satti, with long-time collaborator Abhijit Guha.
“The swapna (dream) has turned into a nightmare. Nobody has turned up... My team members, some of the members have been working with me for decades, have abandoned the project. None of them cited a reason,” Roy said in the video, standing on a balcony and pointing to an empty house.
More than 25 technicians were originally on board for the film, said Roy.
Roy later told Metro: “I have sent emails to the individual guilds and the federation. I have sent the list of technicians who were involved in the film. So far, I haven’t received any response.”
The Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) is headed by Swarup Biswas, brother of Trinamool leader and minister Aroop Biswas.
The federation represents 26 associations or guilds, made up of persons who are part of a shoot, from directors to people in charge of lights. Technically, the directors’ guild is also part of the federation.
A stand-off between the federation and the Directors Association of Eastern India in July led to an impasse that crippled shooting in the studios for days.
Before Roy, at least three other directors alleged similar “harassment”.
Roy said in the video: “My producer has suffered financial loss. I am deeply hurt. What is my fault? I had raised questions on some issues. Am I sidelined because of that?”
“...But I still hope that a solution will emerge.”
She also alleged that the way her shoot was stalled defied a Calcutta High Court order.
In a recent order, the high court has restrained the technicians’ federation in Tollygunge from interfering with the independent functioning of a director.
Amit Samanta, the assistant director for Roy’s film, said he was forced to leave the film because of other commitments. “I have other projects lined up. The dates were clashing. That is why I had to leave the film,” said Samanta.
FCTWEI head Swarup Biswas declined to comment.
Some of the biggest names in Bengali films, including Roy, came together at a news conference on December 3, 2024, to allege that the high-handedness of the federation was “ruining” the industry.