Suffocating environment in West Bengal film industry, political colour attached to platform: Babul Supriyo

Union Minister and Asansol MP Babul Supriyo on Thursday said that there is a suffocating environment in the film industry of West Bengal as there a political colour attached to the platform and no independence.

During the launch of his ‘Khola Hawa’ initiative in Kolkata, Supriyo said that technicians or others in the industry have no say unlike the South Indian industry and Bollywood industry. He cited the other industries saying that those have no affiliation with any ruling party or any political party and questioned its prevalence in West Bengal.

He said, "In Mumbai too, we have never seen CM Devendra Fadnavis or the Shiv Sena interfering in the industry. My good friend Dev (TMC Lok Sabha MP) had tweeted a day back that Bangla films are not being able to release films due to non-availability of movie halls. Four films are releasing during Durga Puja. Later he tweeted that he spoke to didi (West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee) to look into it."

Supriyo also asked as to why CM Mamata Banerjee look into such things and interfere in matters pertaining to the industry. "There is no independent film making in West Bengal. Even if we are associated with a political party, but still we stand in favour of the industry," added Supriyo.

Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta also said, "Be it the Tollywood industry or other creative fields have been governed by the ruling party here. There is political colour everywhere."