KOLKATA: Following the tragic on-set drowning of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists’ Forum is establishing a partnership with a soon-to-be-launched emergency and trauma care centre. he Arunadoy Health Card will provide immediate medical attention to artists if they meet with an accident on the way to, during, or returning from a shoot. The initiative stems directly from the industry’s recent dialogues over safety standards. Rahul, who passed away in March 29, was filming a serial at Talsari beach. The tragedy exposed a severe lack of emergency medical resources and safety protocols on location, prompting widespread protests and an industry-wide push for change. Forum’s general secretary Shantilal Mukherjee emphasized that the new initiative extends beyond the set, stating, “we want a health insurance that will take care of artists if any accident happens on their way to the sets or return from there.” He stressed that the coverage must include relatives because “trauma is something that everyone in the family suffers when there is an accident.” Under the arrangement with the upcoming Rajarhat facility, “members of the Forum will not have to pay any premium to get this card,” ensuring that any artist injured anywhere in Kolkata will receive immediate treatment. Mukherjee noted that while the announcement was delayed due to other pressing issues, the Forum is now fully committed to expanding its emotional support network. This includes regular visits to older fraternity members and grieving relatives. Explaining the impact of these visits, he remarked, “Veteran artists face acute loneliness. Meeting members from the fraternity is oxygen for them.” He shared that members have been consistently supporting Rahul’s mother. “Our members have been taking turns to visit Rahul’s mother. She also attended the recent felicitation program,” Mukherjee said. The Forum is maintaining this active presence with other vulnerable peers as well. “Currently, two of our members are hospitalised. Everyday, two or three of our members are visiting them. Some of our members actively monitor these visits. Earlier these visits were more often. We want to increase the frequency of those visits. This will foster deeper bond amongst ourselves,” Mukherjee added.
