The death of Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee has left the film industry in shock. The 43-year-old actor died after falling into the sea while shooting for his TV series, Bhole Baba Paar Karega. As the Bengali film industry mourns, National Award-winning filmmaker Subhrajit Mitra, speaking exclusively to India TV, said he is “short of words” as he struggles to process the loss.
‘He was so full of life’, Subhrajit Mitra on Rahul Banerjee
Speaking to India TV, Subhrajit Mitra said that while they were not in constant touch, their association went back over two decades. “We didn’t meet regularly but we have known each other since 2005, more than 20 years. We never collaborated,” he said.
The filmmaker described the news as deeply unsettling and hard to accept. “I am short of words. It’s very difficult to process. He was so full of life. We had worked in podcasts and were planning for another podcast. It’s very difficult,” Mitra added.
Calling it a collective loss, Mitra said the entire Bengali film fraternity is grieving. “The whole of Bengali film industry is in a state of mourning,” he noted.
‘There are some grey areas’, says Subhrajit Mitra
Subhrajit Mitra also pointed to inconsistencies in the accounts emerging around the actor’s death, urging those involved to provide clarity. “There are differences in statements. There are some grey areas that need to be focused on and the truth needs to come out. The production team needs to come clean about what actually happened,” Mitra said.
According to him, multiple versions have surfaced from those associated with the project. “There are three to four kinds of statements. The co-actress is saying something else, the production manager and producer are saying something else,” he stated.
Recalling how he first learned about the incident, Mitra said the initial reaction was disbelief. “The news is really shocking. A friend from the industry sent the post for the first time and I was taken aback. I didn’t have the time to open Facebook. Initially, I thought it was a promotional strategy for a premiere or something because such things keep happening often. Then I called up a few friends and when they confirmed it, that’s when it really struck me,” he said.
Rahul Banerjee’s sudden death has sparked widespread grief, even as questions continue to be raised about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police is investigating the matter. He is survived by wife Priyanka Sarkar and their son, Shohoj.
As for Subhrajit Mitra, he a popular name in the Bengali film industry. In 2022, his film Avijatrik won two National Awards for Best Bengali Film and Best Cinematography.
Also read: Rahul Banerjee dies at 43: Here’s latest update on investigation into Bengali actor’s demise
