Kolkata: After weeks of turmoil over Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA) presidency issues, Piya Sengupta’s resignation has been accepted to make way for Krishna Daga as the new president of the organization. Simultaneously, in an effort to stabilize Tollywood, four actor-turned-BJP MLAs Papiya Adhikary, Rudranil Ghosh, Hiran Chattopadhyay and Roopa Ganguly met information and cultural affairs department officials, producers and technicians at Nandan on Monday to sort out internal differences.
After months of acrimony regarding the leadership of EIMPA, there seems to be a resolution as the association finally moves past its internal instability. EIMPA executive committee member Bijay Kalyani confirmed the leadership transition, noting: “The committee has received a letter dated June 16 from Piya Sengupta where she has mentioned about tendering her resignation from the post of president for the period 2025-2027. The executive committee members accepted her resignation on July 10. Alongside her departure, vice-presidents Suhas Sen and Indrajit Ray also resigned. To resolve the resulting vacancy, the committee—which had dwindled to 19 of its 28 designated members — co-opted nine valid members to restore its ranks.” Following this, the body elected Krishna Daga as president, with Kalyani and Rabindranath Banik appointed as the new vice presidents.
While this leadership transition signals a return to normalcy for EIMPA, the broader industry continues to pursue stability through separate, govt-mediated dialogues focused on operational reform. Producer Firdausul Hasan, who attended Monday’s meeting at Nandan, emphasized that the state is actively seeking to improve industry operations. He said, “The govt is trying to streamline various issues that are important for proper functioning of Tollywood. Attempts are being made to settle each and every issue. But everything will take time.”
During the session, which included govt officials, actor-turned-MLAs, and technicians, it was decided that a follow-up meeting will be held between 10 producers and 10 technicians. This upcoming discussion aims to finalize critical operational parameters, including technician work hours, remuneration structures, and the regulation of variable payments for projects filmed in Bengal across different languages.
On being asked about the confusion regarding the status of Federation and Eastern India Motion Pictures & Cultural Confederation (EIMPCC), Hasan said, “There was absolutely no discussion regarding this. Anyone has the right to form a union or an organization in a legal way. But the govt will certainly never come in the way of doing so.”