Bengali film hub rocked after change of guard: Can Tollygunge separate art and politics?

West Bengal's tinsel town found itself at the centre of a political storm following a major restructuring announced by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Papiya Adhikari, who was elected in the April elections from Tollygunge, a seat in southern Kolkata where the industry is located. The move triggered protests, clashes and renewed debate over the influence of politics in Tollywood (not to be confused with the Telugu film industry), the hub of Bengali cinema and television serial industry, which is located in Tollygunge.

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The controversy comes in the wake of the Assembly elections that the BJP swept, shattering the bastions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including Tollywood. It was alleged that the TMC and its local leaders had turned the industry into their fiefdom, dictating terms and even starting a culture to ban artistes and other workers who they felt did not toe their line of thought.

The TMC-backed Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI), or just the federation, a powerful body led by Swarup Biswas, brother of former TMC minister Arup Biswas, who Papiya defeated in this election, also made the headlines for the wrong reasons. The junior Biswas was arrested by the Kolkata Police on Thursday (June 4) night on charges of running an extortion racket in the film industry and allegedly molesting a 42-year-old make-up artiste.

Major overhaul

Papiya, a veteran actor herself, vowed to restore a healthy work culture in Tollywood. On Wednesday (June 3), she announced that the FCTWEI had been dissolved and that the 26 guilds operating under the federation would cease to exist.

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In their place, she said, the centrally registered Eastern India Motion Pictures & Cultural Confederation would bring the industry under a single umbrella. According to Papiya, the objective is to improve transparency, efficiency and coordination across the sector.

Protests followed

But what began as an administrative announcement soon escalated into open confrontation.

The day after the announcement, Technicians' Studio, the heart of Tollywood, witnessed clashes between two rival groups when people gathered to protest the MLA's decision. Stones, bricks and eggs were thrown as tensions boiled over. Many people were injured during the violence, including a woman make-up artiste. Some journalists present on the spot were also hit. Forces from the nearby Regent Park Police Station stepped in to bring the situation under control.

What did rival groups say?

Those opposing the MLA's decision argued that the restructuring had been imposed without consultation.

According to them, workers and guild members were neither consulted nor informed before the federation and guilds were dissolved. They warned that dismantling the existing structure could affect nearly 10,000 workers and their families.

Supporters of the new arrangement rejected those concerns and accused opponents of refusing to accept the election outcome.

The dispute has also revived broader questions about the relationship between politics and cinema in Bengal.

For years, Tollywood has been closely linked to TMC politics. Several film personalities entered electoral politics under the party banner and became prominent faces of the ruling establishment.

Industry reckoning

Alongside that political influence came allegations that political loyalty often determined opportunities within the industry.

Critics have alleged that individuals perceived as supportive of the TMC received work and influence, while others were sidelined.

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Following the election results, some celebrity politicians associated with the industry faced criticism from sections of the public. The backlash further intensified the debate over politics and cinema. Some were accused of taking U-turns after the change of guard. One even said he had to compromise for his newborn son, although he was seen campaigning for the TMC during this year's elections.

Actors and politics

The developments unfolding in Tollywood are being viewed by many as a reckoning for an industry long intertwined with political power. It is not that members of the Bengali film industry have joined politics or contested in elections for the first time in the TMC era. Even the Left rule before that saw such entries. But they were more exceptions than the rule. However, actors in Bengali never scaled the heights in the way their counterparts have historically done, like in many states of South India.

The immediate dispute may centre on control of a federation, but the larger question concerns the future of artistic independence in Bengal's film industry.

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As tensions continue, the key question remains whether Tollywood can truly separate art from politics. Until that happens, the battle for influence inside Bengal's film industry is unlikely to end.

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