The shoot for a music video directed and produced by actor-director Anirban Bhattacharya was cancelled on Monday after several technicians failed to show up at the south Kolkata venue despite confirming their availability initially.
“With such widespread non-cooperation across departments, I had no choice but to cancel the shoot,” Anirban told The Telegraph Online.
The shoot, planned for the second song of Anirban’s band Hooliganism, was scheduled to begin at 9am at the Jogesh Mime Academy. Preparations had been under way for over a fortnight, with technicians being contacted well in advance, Anirban said.
Many had initially confirmed their availability. However, when call times were shared a few days ago, several technicians backed out, citing possible repercussions, while others went incommunicado.
Anirban said the issue is already under judicial consideration, with a writ petition pending before the Calcutta High Court.
“The honourable high court has made it clear so far that no one should interfere with our right to earn a livelihood. We are free to work anywhere in India, and with any technician we choose. There’s nothing illegal about what we are doing—the Constitution guarantees us this freedom,” he said.
The development comes against the backdrop of an impasse between a group of independent filmmakers, including Anirban, and the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India.
In April, 14 directors had approached the court alleging obstruction by the federation, particularly over their choice of crew. The court had observed that directors were within their rights to work freely and directed the state to ensure their protection where necessary.
Despite the court’s directive, Monday’s shoot could not proceed. “I intend to go ahead and try again,” Anirban said. “I want to work with technicians I am comfortable with. Whether it’s films, web series or music videos — I will continue to do my work in whatever way possible.”
Without naming anyone, Anirban hinted that the deadlock may have been triggered by demands previously raised by some members of the filmmaking community.
“We had made certain demands that we believed were fair and necessary. It seems that raising those questions has led to this silent resistance. But I don’t think this situation can continue indefinitely,” he said.