No foul play in actor's death; no permission was taken for Talsari shoot: Police
Bhubaneswar: The Balasore police on Monday said that no foul play was involved in the death of Tollywood actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee (43), who drowned in Odisha while shooting for a serial off the Talsari sea beach, located around 8km from Digha, on Sunday. “While no foul play has been detected, the production team did not obtain police permission for the shoot,” district SP Pratayush Diwakar said.
“According to a joint inspection by Talsari and Digha police, the incident took place around 5:30 pm on Sunday when Banerjee and actress Sweta Mishra were shooting in knee-deep water. Both reportedly slipped into a ditch. They were rushed to a hospital in Digha where Banerjee was declared dead,” Diwakar added.
“Though the incident took place at Talsari, an unnatural death case has been registered at Digha Mohana coastal police station in West Bengal under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls,” the SP said.
Talsari, known for its relatively flat terrain and gentle waves, is considered safer than many other beaches in Odisha and is increasingly being chosen as a destination for filming. However, police interaction with local fishermen has revealed that the specific location had a ditch, which the production team may have been unaware of. Whether safety protocols were followed during the shoot is currently under investigation.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the lack of safety regulations at shooting locations in the state. The Odisha State Film Policy , 2019, which outlined regulations and incentives for filmmakers, lapsed in 2022, leaving a regulatory vacuum. Currently, there are no clear guidelines governing working conditions for cast and crew during shoots. Permissions from local authorities such as police and fire services are often sought for logistical reasons, but there is no overarching framework mandating risk assessment, emergency preparedness, or the presence of trained safety personnel on sets.
Film industry insiders say that while big-budget productions often deploy safety teams, smaller crews tend to overlook such precautions due to budget constraints. “There are no mandatory safety guidelines that producers must follow before shooting in hazardous locations. For safety reasons, some filmmakers inform the district collector and the SP before a film goes on the floors, but there are many who do not feel it’s necessary,” National Award-winning filmmaker Sabyasachi Mohapatra said.
A member of Odisha Film Producers' Association, requesting anonymity, said, “While beaches and water bodies across the state and hilly regions, particularly in Koraput, are mostly chosen for shooting films and serials, there are no uniform guidelines so far that compel filmmakers to deploy lifeguards, medical staff, or safety officers.”
An official of the industry department, which looks after the film industry, said, “Work is underway for framing of a new film policy, which would also look into the safety of the film production teams that decide to shoot in Odisha.”
“According to a joint inspection by Talsari and Digha police, the incident took place around 5:30 pm on Sunday when Banerjee and actress Sweta Mishra were shooting in knee-deep water. Both reportedly slipped into a ditch. They were rushed to a hospital in Digha where Banerjee was declared dead,” Diwakar added.
“Though the incident took place at Talsari, an unnatural death case has been registered at Digha Mohana coastal police station in West Bengal under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls,” the SP said.
Talsari, known for its relatively flat terrain and gentle waves, is considered safer than many other beaches in Odisha and is increasingly being chosen as a destination for filming. However, police interaction with local fishermen has revealed that the specific location had a ditch, which the production team may have been unaware of. Whether safety protocols were followed during the shoot is currently under investigation.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the lack of safety regulations at shooting locations in the state. The Odisha State Film Policy , 2019, which outlined regulations and incentives for filmmakers, lapsed in 2022, leaving a regulatory vacuum. Currently, there are no clear guidelines governing working conditions for cast and crew during shoots. Permissions from local authorities such as police and fire services are often sought for logistical reasons, but there is no overarching framework mandating risk assessment, emergency preparedness, or the presence of trained safety personnel on sets.
Film industry insiders say that while big-budget productions often deploy safety teams, smaller crews tend to overlook such precautions due to budget constraints. “There are no mandatory safety guidelines that producers must follow before shooting in hazardous locations. For safety reasons, some filmmakers inform the district collector and the SP before a film goes on the floors, but there are many who do not feel it’s necessary,” National Award-winning filmmaker Sabyasachi Mohapatra said.
A member of Odisha Film Producers' Association, requesting anonymity, said, “While beaches and water bodies across the state and hilly regions, particularly in Koraput, are mostly chosen for shooting films and serials, there are no uniform guidelines so far that compel filmmakers to deploy lifeguards, medical staff, or safety officers.”
An official of the industry department, which looks after the film industry, said, “Work is underway for framing of a new film policy, which would also look into the safety of the film production teams that decide to shoot in Odisha.”
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