Arindam Sil, a prominent filmmaker, has been suspended from the Directors Association of Eastern India (DAEI) following a formal complaint of sexual abuse, lodged against him by an actress with the West Bengal Women’s Commission. The development came eight months after he was appointed as a senior member of the general body and governing council of West Bengal Tele Academy, which is under the administrative control of the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs department.
The suspension follows a formal complaint with the police as well. The WB Women’s Commission is led by Leena Ganguly who is also a member of the academy’s governing body chaired by state minister Arup Biswas. It was the commission that forwarded the complaint to the director’s panel, sources told News18. Sil has faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female colleagues in the past too but no action was taken against him until now.
The filmmaker had participated in the night march protesting against the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month, positioning himself as a supporter of women’s safety and also demanding justice for the deceased doctor. Following the march and the participation of veteran film personalities, Trinamool Congress leaders, including Kunal Ghosh, called some of them “opportunists”.
Sil’s public stance has added a layer of intrigue as to whether the government’s immediate action through the women’s commission came as an effort to reprimand him or if it was a pre-emptive move amid simmering accusations. His suspension comes at a time when the industry and social media have been abuzz with discussions on the pervasive issue of sexual harassment in Tollywood, making Sil’s case a focal point of the controversy.
The allegations of sexual abuse by an actress against Sil have ignited a social media storm, with more women stepping forward, levelling accusations against other industry stalwarts — directly or indirectly. Amidst the ongoing RG Kar Medical College protests, the Tollywood industry now faces an unsettling reckoning — are they on the verge of a casting couch scandal akin to the one that shook Mollywood?
Allegations, Ripples on Social Media
The scandal seems to have opened the floodgates, with others revealing similar stories involving prominent Tollywood directors and actors. Allegations of sexual harassment, manipulation, and exploitation have started surfacing, indicating a deeper, systemic problem. This mirrors the casting couch revelations that rocked Mollywood, where victims broke their silence en masse, leading to widespread investigations and reforms.
Prominent actress Swastika Mukherjee, who has been actively participating in the protest for weeks now, wrote on social media: “I thought, I would not be able to see this in my life… Took 20 years. Let it be. To all the girls in our world, time has come. Seize the honour.” Her post included a screenshot of the letter sent by the director’s panel to Sil.
This is not just about one allegation — Sil’s suspension has become a flashpoint for larger issues of exploitation in the industry. The complaint has triggered widespread outrage on social platforms. Several actresses, models, and crew members have begun sharing their experiences, with posts going viral under hashtags pushing for accountability. At least three senior actresses have posted on social media alleging sexual abuse by another director and an actor of Tollywood.
Coinciding With RG Kar Protests
The timing of the scandal coincides with the ongoing RG Kar Medical College protests, where students and staff are demanding justice after the brutal rape and murder of a doctor by a civic police volunteer. The overlap of these two significant events is amplifying public anger as many are drawing parallels between unchecked power dynamics in different spheres of West Bengal’s institutions.
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