Amid the Rahool Mukherjee-Federation tiff, Anik Dutta recalls his ordeal during Bhobishyoter Bhoot

On Friday, the Directors Association Of Eastern India revoked their ‘compulsory waiting status’ on director Rahool Mukherjee. In a press release, it was stated that the association has ‘misleading and incomplete’ information. However, the Federation did not allow it. 

A new set of complications started on Saturday. The shooting for SVF's Puja release was supposed to take place in the NT 1 Studio on Saturday. Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, and other actors came to the floor, and Rahool sat on the director's seat. This angered the technicians. The Federation's president Swarup Biswas said that they did not want to work with this director. Directors assembled outside the studio in the morning. The directors, including Prosenjit Chatterjee, Srijit Mukherji, Raj Chakraborty, and Kaushik Ganguly, strongly criticised the technicians. They questioned that if the directors followed the same rule and withdrew from their work, could the technicians finish the work? 

Anik Dutta raised the same question. In an interview with Anandabazar Onlinem he asked, “Does the Federation have the right to say whether Rahool can or can't direct?: 

He also mentioned that the Federation interfered with the directors' works, mentioning an incident while shooting his film Bhobishyoter Bhoot. Anik said, “The Federation ordered the cast and the crew to stop in the middle of the shooting and walk out. On that day, they stood by me and advised me not to stop the work without a written instruction. They said that they would not stop the work, either, without a written instruction.” 

Anik is saddened to see the technicians' new avatar. He said, “Two sides are made to fight each other which is undesirable. This is the tactics of the ruler--divide and rule. We forget that directors and technicians complement each other. A film can't be made if they don't unite.”

Does the protest take place because Rahool is under the umbrella of a big production house? Several directors faced the same situation previously, but no one protested. Anik said 'The danger is rising and perhaps the directors can sense it. Who can say that they will not face the same situation in future? Perhaps that is why such a protest.' He also said that he does not believe in the stand that a director will have no freedom while making a film and have to follow the rules of the Federation or any other organization at each step. He said 'Many of my assistant directors are working on films abroad. Will those who get the chance will have to inform the Federation before going?' he asked 'Does the Federation know every part of the world?' 

Anik regretted that this was the reason of the bad shape of Bengali cinema and that was why Anurag Kashyap tags Bengali films as 'Ghatia'.