Cine stars on streets to protest Govt move to privatise studio

Kolkata, Sep 4 (UNI) Top cine and television actors took to the streets and held a massive demonstration here today in protest against the Left Front government's proposed move to privatise state-owned Technician Studio, a landmark of Tollywood cinema.

Hundreds of technicians also accompanied them in the stir.

They said the change of ownership meant the end of the century-old studio as well as the Bengali cinema.

Cutting across the political leanings, the actors, under the banner of Artists Forum and Tollygunge Technicians Guild, raised anti-government slogans and affirmed to intensify their agitation if the authorities did not revoke its decision to give the studio and its huge property to private party.

Veteran star Soumitra Chatterjee, matinee idols Prasenjit, Tapas Pal, Avishek Chatterjee, Ranjit Mullick, Biplab Chatterjee, celebrated yesteryears artists Haradhan Banerjee and Geeta Dey were among the stars, who participated in the demonstration.

They first took out a procession from Tollygunj in south Kolkata to nearby Metro station and travelled by the underground trains to reach Esplanade area to hold the rally.

Fourm general secretary Prasenjit demanded the government to ensure either the studio was not privatised or it was used only for shooting even if it was to be handed over to any private party. He apprehended that the studio, a landmark of the city, once given to any private party would be used for other purposes and hundreds of technicians would lose their jobs and jeopardise the Bengali cinema.

Soumitra Chatterjee,a staunch supporter of Left Front philosophy, urged all the participants to continue the agitation until the government gave the assurance that the century-old studio would not be privatised.

Ranjit Mullick demanded the government should accord the studio as a heritage treasure of Bengali cinema.

Biplab Chatterjee, who fought an unsuccessful assembly election as a CPI(M) candidate against Tapas Pal, said if situation demanded they would march to Writers' Buildings' and raise voice against the government's move for privatisation of Bengali cinema's main pillar.

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