The shooting of the Bengali film "Harry Om" has been stalled due to a renewed conflict between the film's directors and the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India. This disruption highlights ongoing tensions within the Bengali film industry regarding the roles and responsibilities of directors and technicians.
According to reports from June 9, 2025, the film's director, Kinshuk Dey, expressed his frustration, stating that 85% of the film had been completed over the past year, despite previous disruptions. However, on Monday, none of the technicians turned up at the scheduled location in the Baghajatin area of Jadavpur, Kolkata. Dey mentioned that he had a feeling this might happen as there was no response when he posted the "call time" on their WhatsApp group the previous night. While some technicians might have had emergencies, no alternate names were suggested, which is standard practice.
This recent event is connected to a larger issue, as Dey is among 14 Bengali film directors who have filed petitions at the Calcutta High Court. These petitions address the alleged interference by the Federation in deciding the names and number of technicians involved in their film projects. The Federation President, Swarup Biswas, has denied these charges, accusing the directors of insulting the federation and its technicians. Biswas also noted that a similar situation had previously affected the shooting of a film by directors Abhijit Guha and Sudeshna Roy before a resolution was reached.
Actor-director Anirban Bhattacharya voiced his helplessness, stating that the directors had been seeking answers to some queries for a year without any response. He also pointed out the economic impact on the technicians themselves if they do not work. Dey and Bhattacharya have sought a meeting with the Information and Cultural Affairs Secretary to find a solution to the ongoing conflict. They are hoping for the government's guidance to resolve the situation.
Historically, several directors, including Srijit Roy and Rahool Mukherjee, have faced similar setbacks due to these issues, which were eventually resolved. In response to the recent disruption, Biswas claimed to have no knowledge of the "Harry Om" situation, stating that numerous other film and television projects are proceeding as usual.
This is not an isolated incident as in July 2024, director Rahool Mukherjee faced a similar issue when technicians boycotted his film's shoot, citing violations of prior agreements. This sparked outrage among Bengali film directors against what they perceive as stringent restrictions imposed by the cine workers' federation. Actor Dev, also a Trinamool Congress MP, emphasized that the directors' concerns were "not politically colored" and highlighted the dwindling work opportunities in the Bengali film industry. Veteran actor Prasenjit Chatterjee appealed for a resolution out of respect for filmmaking, while actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee pointed out that Bengal is the only film industry in India where producers are forced to hire more technicians than required due to the Federation's rules.
Earlier, in June 2017, a similar issue arose during the UK shoot of the Bengali film "Chalbaaz," where technicians refused to work. This led to financial losses and accusations against the Federation for abusing its power and creating a negative image for Tollywood.
These recurring disputes underscore a fundamental conflict between the creative freedom of directors and the operational control exerted by the technicians' federation. The directors are seeking to reduce what they see as unnecessary constraints on their projects, while the Federation aims to protect the interests and employment of its members. The intervention of the Information and Cultural Affairs Secretary is now anticipated as a potential avenue for resolving this persistent issue and allowing the "Harry Om" shoot, and others impacted, to resume.
