Tollywood stars Prosenjit Chatterjee and Dev have been included in a proposed high-powered advisory committee constituted by Bengal's new BJP government as part of a wider effort to overhaul the state's film and television industry.

The move comes at a time when the Bengali entertainment sector has been grappling with internal disputes, allegations of “ban culture”, labour unrest and calls for structural reforms.

Dev, one of the 20 rebel Trinamool MPs who recently ‘merged’ with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), has been among the most vocal advocates for greater transparency and an end to divisions within the industry, while Prosenjit heads the Artists’ Forum.

According to the minutes of a high-level meeting held at Nabanna on June 8, the state government is planning sweeping reforms across the Information and Cultural Affairs Department and several industry bodies linked to film and television production.

The proposed advisory committee brings together some of the biggest names from Tollywood, and the state administration. Apart from veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee and actor-MP Dev, the panel is set to include actors Jisshu Sengupta and Tanmay Dey, producers Mahendra Soni and Sani Ghosh Ray, directors Kaushik Ganguly and Srijit Mukherji, senior production manager Jayanta Kundu, and television director Amit Das.

The committee will also feature BJP legislators Roopa Ganguly, Papiya Adhikari, Rudranil Ghosh and Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay, alongside senior government officials, including Information and Cultural Affairs Secretary Dr Soumitra Mohan, Director of Films Krittibas Nayak, Nandan CEO Sharmistha Bandyopadhyay and Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister's Office Santanu Basu.

The meeting minutes indicate that the government is reviewing nearly 40 committees and organisations operating under the Information and Cultural Affairs Department. Industry representatives have been tasked with examining whether overlapping bodies can be merged and have also been empowered to recommend names for key leadership positions.

The document further warns that unless professionalism and transparency are restored in the functioning of the Federation and associated guilds, the industry could face serious financial consequences, potentially affecting thousands of technicians and workers.