Rahul Arunoday Bandyopadhyay, the actor who died on Sunday in Talsari close to the Bengal-Odisha border during a shoot, was taken to a clinic in the beach town alive but there was no doctor so he had to be taken to Digha Hospital where he was declared dead, the production house involved said on Wednesday.
Magic Moments Motion Pictures issued a statement saying those present at the site had attempted to save the actor, whose death has stunned Bengal and swivelled the spotlight on safety on the sets.
Bandyopadhyay reportedly fell into the sea around 4.30pm on Sunday during the shooting of a serial, Bhole Baba Paar Karega,.
“Rahul was alive when he was taken out of the water and tried to communicate,” Magic Moments Motion Pictures said. “He may not have been able to speak clearly. He was then taken to a nearby clinic. Unfortunately, no doctor was available at the facility then. As a result, he had to be transported again to Digha Hospital, where he was ultimately declared dead.”
Some other witnesses have earlier claimed that the actor had jumped into the waters after the actress he was shooting with, Shweta Mishra, slipped and fell in a stretch that was deep.
The production house said they were also trying to piece together the events of Sunday evening and talking to the cast and crew.
“We request another few days to gather their (cast and crew) accounts in a neutral and structured manner. We intend to carefully assess where their statements align and where there may be deviations, so that we can present a comprehensive and accurate report,” the statement read.
“We welcome the presence of a nominated representative from Rahul’s family, friends, or the Artists’ Forum. This individual can observe our process and help ensure our data collection and interpretations remain fair and unbiased.”
The company representatives assured they were prepared to answer any questions the actor’s family including his wife, Priyanka, who is also an actress, may have.
“We are committed to ensuring that no possibility of negligence, however small, goes unexamined,” the statement said.
The company said that it had obtained all necessary permissions for the shoot and would produce them before the investigating authorities.
The statement said Leena Gangopadhyay, a creative head in the company who is also chairperson of the West Bengal Women’s Commission, was willing to step down for an impartial probe into the 43-year-old actor’s death.
“Leena has been associated with the company since 2010 as a writer and creative head. She joined the board in 2011. However, she isn’t a promoter or operational executive. Her role has always been limited to creative responsibilities,” the company statement said.
“We understand these assumptions may arise because of Leena’s role as chairperson of the West Bengal Women’s Commission. Keeping this in mind, Leena is willing to step down from her position as chairperson so that no perception of bias affects Rahul’s investigation and so that she doesn’t relinquish her responsibilities in the matter,” it added.