Actors and technicians at the Tollygunge studios decided to resume work after a day’s strike, but said none of them would immediately take up assignments with the production house involved in the shoot where actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died.

At a news conference addressed by actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev and Rituparna Sengupta, among others, conditions were set for returning to work with Magic Moments Motion Pictures.

“We will not work with the production house or those associated with it until we come to know either publicly or through the court how and under what circumstances Rahul died,” Prosenjit said.

“We are going back to work from Wednesday, both the television and film industry. We are not at war with anybody, but we have lost a family member, and they (the production house) have to publicly come out and say what led to Rahul’s death, which they have not in the past nine days... The entire industry has come together like a family on this,” Prosenjit said.

Rahul died while shooting for a television serial on the Talsari beach in Odisha on March 29.

Actor Dev said the artistes’ forum and the technicians’ federation did not support a “ban culture”, but Rahul’s death “cannot be ignored”.

“We have decided to go on a non-cooperation with that particular company and their directors unless they come out clear and prove that they are not at fault,” actor Dev said.

Banerjee’s wife, actor Priyanka Sarkar, lodged a complaint at Talsari Marine police station on Saturday against members of the production house and held them accountable for Banerjee’s death.

Insurance coverage for all was among the decisions made at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Within the next 30 days, we will get the insurance coverage done. The decision was made together with EIMPA (Eastern India Motion Picture Association) and television producers. The safety protocols will be decided within 15 days,” said Swarup Biswas, president of the technicians’ federation and the influential Trinamool Congress leader under whose command runs much of Bengal’s film and television industry.

Actor Rituparna Sengupta said Banerjee’s death was an eye-opener.

“The fact that he died in the middle of a shoot is a matter of great concern. His death has shown how unsafe we all are. We are not working in isolation; the entire industry is together in this, and the endeavour is to create a safe industry,” said actor Rituparna.

Every member of the crew, including actors, technicians, and producers, will be under the insurance cover, she said.

“There will also be arrangements for some mandatory compensation in case there is a hazard on the set,” she added.

“The insurance and standard operating procedures will be ready within 15-30 days. Till then, no shooting will be held nor shot given in any place fraught with risk,” she said.

Banerjee is believed to have died trying to save a co-actor who slipped and fell into a depression on an uneven Talsari beach. He was declared dead at Digha State General Hospital.

The production house has denied allegations of negligence, saying it had permission for the shoot.

“We have to know the truth... They (the production house) have to tell what exactly happened,” said actor Ranjit Mallick.