Directors' Association suspends Bengali filmmaker Arindam Sil for sexual harassment

Bengali filmmaker Arindam Sil from Kolkata was suspended by the Directors' Association of Eastern India after an actress complained of sexual misconduct.

Sil was the first big name in the Bengali film industry, also known as Tollywood, to be taken action against after allegations of sexual harassment rocked the southern entertainment industry.

The suspension came into force with immediate effect, according to a letter from the DAEI late Saturday.

“Due to certain allegations made against you and the prima facie evidence before us which is deeply concerning and reflects poorly on the entire organisation, DAEI has decided to suspend your membership indefinitely or until the allegations against you are resolved,” said the letter from DAEI President Subrata Sen and Secretary Sudeshna Roy.

Sil, who is also a well-known actor, told reporters that the behavior that was interpreted as misconduct was not intentional.

He said the incident in question occurred recently when he was explaining a scene to the actress during the shooting of a film.

“Nobody objected to my actions or behavior at the time,” he claimed.

The DAEI took up the matter after the actress filed a complaint with the West Bengal Commission for Women.

In a letter to the Commission asking for a response to the allegations, Sil apologized.

Sil also told reporters that everyone who worked on the film and was present at the time of the incident would testify that his act was “unintentional.”

He said he was suspended before he could present his case to the DAEI.

“I always explain scenes to my actors and actresses before I shoot. After this particular incident, the actress in question was willing to take part in the shoot for four more hours,” he said.

The DAEI secretary said that after discussions with all parties, the matter had been carefully examined and, at first glance, it was assumed that the complaint was justified.

The actress told NEWS18 Bangla that she has full confidence in the commission.

“Let me ask him why you have to be physical to explain a setting. We are all professional actors. I will explain the rest to the commission in the future if necessary,” she said.

In addition to the Shabor series, Sil is known for his detective films such as “Har Har Byomkesh” and “Mitin Mashi”.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.