Bengali actress and Trinamool Congress leader Sayantika Banerjee walked off the sets of her upcoming film Chayabaj which was being shot in Cox Bazar in Bangladesh. After the media reported her sudden departure to Kolkata, leaving the project incomplete, the TMC leader and actress opened up about the harassment she faced on the sets compelling her to return.
Sayantika arrived in Dhaka on August 30 to work on the movie Chayabaz, directed by Taju Kamrul. The shooting was scheduled to continue until September 12, with the first portion focusing on music video shoots. While the filming of the initial song went smoothly, issues arose during the second song’s shoot, owing to a conflict between Sayantika and dance director Michael.
TMC leader and actor levels serious allegations against her choreographer
Speaking to Anandabazar Online, the actress revealed how she was harassed by her choreographer Michael on the sets. She also told the portal that there were several issues on the management front on the sets of the film, which left the actress and her team disappointed.
Speaking about the instance of harassment, Banerjee alleged that her choreographer repeatedly touched her inappropriately without her consent and also threatened her. She added that she raised objections and tried to communicate the issues on the sets with the producer Manirul Islam and director Taju Kamrul of the film but in vain. Islam and Kamrul did not support her and instead forced her to work with the same choreographer. She then returned to Kolkata from Bangladesh without finishing the shoot.
She said, “Initially, a teacher came for the dance shooting but he left because of monetary issues. Then the young boy called Michael came.” “Michael, without my consent, held my hand and I stopped him in front of everyone,” she added.
She also refuted allegations of not completing the shoot. “I am a professional artist and can’t think of doing such things.” “Time and again, I tried to contact the producer regarding some technical issues but did not get any response. He has no planning and no management. We were suddenly told that a dance sequence would be shot. When Manirul did not respond after being called many times, I said that I would not work with Michael like this,” added Sayantika. She said she waited for two days in Cox’s Bazar before returning to India, to hear from the producer, however, received no solution.
Co-actor Zayed Khan claims Sayantika Banerjee never objected to dance director’s presence on sets
Zayed Khan, Sayantika’s co-star, expressed surprise to The Daily Star, claiming that she had never opposed Michael’s presence. Sayantika finished her scenes and then left for Kolkata, according to Zayed.
“The disagreement had arisen regarding costumes, specifically the need for leather outfits in certain scenes. This issue had been duly reported to the producer. There were also complications regarding Sayantika’s remuneration, but a party is trying to spread misinformation,” actor Zayed Khan reportedly told the media.
Sayantika Banerjee is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema. The actress joined Trinamool Congress (TMC), ahead of Assembly elections 2021 in West Bengal. She was also promoted to the rank of officer in the TMC.
