Bengali actor and TV star Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, 43, passed away during a sea shoot at Talsari in Odisha on Sunday afternoon, leaving the industry shocked by the loss of his warmth and presence.

The actor, also a writer, podcast host, and Left supporter, reportedly fell from a speedboat into rough waters during high tide and drowned.

He was rushed to the Digha State General Hospital, 11 km from Talsari, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Digha police said Rahul and his crew had been in Talsari for several days shooting for the TV serial Bhole Baba Par Karega. On Sunday around 4:30 pm, Rahul lost his balance during a boat sequence and fell into the sea. Fellow actors and crew members immediately jumped in, and after nearly an hour, managed to rescue him.

A police officer in Digha said, “We have registered a case of unnatural death. The safety arrangements were inadequate for shooting in the seemingly calm Talsari sea.”

The officer added, “Nearly an hour was lost in rescuing the actor. If he had been rescued immediately, his life might have been saved.”

Odisha police confirmed that permission had been obtained for the shoot.

For now, Rahul’s body has been kept at the Digha hospital morgue.

The actor’s body will be sent to Contai Sub-Divisional Hospital on Monday morning for a post-mortem, Atish Biswas, additional superintendent of police (rural) in charge of Digha, said.

Eyewitnesses said the sea in Talsari, located at the mouth of the Subarnarekha, remains calm during low tide but becomes rough during high tide.

A police officer said that although it was low tide when the shooting began, the sea started turning rough as the tide began to rise.

The boat began to sway in the waves, causing Rahul to fall into the water.

His co-actor Shweta Mishra too fell into the sea but was immediately rescued by members of the shooting unit, a police officer said. He said the Bengal police were coordinating with Odisha police over jurisdictional issues.

Speaking to ABP Ananda, actor Kharaj Mukherjee wondered how such an incident could occur in the presence of so many people from the production unit.

Outside the Digha hospital, an acutely distressed Shweta, still unaware of Rahul’s death, kept asking about him.

“We were shooting together in the sea just a while ago. I too fell into the water
along with Rahulda,” she said. “I’m fine… but where is Rahulda?”

Rahul had been catapulted to stardom by the 2008 romantic drama Chirodini Tumi Je Amar (2008), whose emotional storytelling, melodious music and the fresh on-screen pairing of Rahul with Priyanka Sarkar made it an instant hit with the audience.

Subsequently, the lead pair’s relationship and marriage drew wide public interest.

Rahul went on to build a steady career with appearances in films such as Mainak Bhaumik’s Take One, alongside numerous television serials and reality shows.

“Rahul was a force to reckon with for his generation of actors, always pushing the boundary and looking for a new path,” Mainak said.

“We had way too much fun as colleagues on and off the set. Apart from being a brilliant actor, he was a cinephile, always excited to explore the world of cinema. We spent entire nights discussing Woody Allen’s films.

“I’m in no state to have this discussion — but I shall truly miss that decade, that time of my life that I hold dear. My prayers for his family, for a great soul gone too soon.”

Rahul also hosted his own interview-based YouTube show, Shohoj Kotha, featuring insightful conversations that also showcased his own humane and sensitive personality, which broadened his reach among the younger viewers.

One of his latest appearances came in the Hoichoi series Thakumar Jhuli, where he played a funny and loveable police officer.

Rahul began his acting career on the stage. He has authored several books as well.

Not one to hide his ideological leanings, Rahul had campaigned for Left candidates in all recent elections. He also wrote for several leading newspapers.

“We have lost a leading Left intellectual and a rising actor who was also a voice of protest,” the CPM’s Jadavpur candidate, Bikashranjan Bhattacharya, said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences in a post on X.

Rahul’s wife, actress Priyanka, said in a statement: “This is a time of immense grief and deep despair for us. In this difficult moment, we sincerely request space and privacy.”

“There is a child, a mother, a family, and loved ones trying to navigate this loss together. We kindly urge our friends and colleagues in the media to respect our boundaries, refrain from intrusion, and allow us the dignity to grieve in peace. Your understanding and support mean more than ever at this time,” she added.