Kolkata: While most SRFTI graduates build careers in Mumbai or elsewhere, a key set of alumni works within Tollywood, where reactions to Sunday’s campus attack remain split. A few filmmakers have openly criticised the smear campaign against current students, but many across the industry have remained silent.Beyond its strong presence in Kolkata’s documentary circuit, mainstream Tollywood relies heavily on talent from SRFTI. Editing alumnus Avijit Sen has successfully transitioned to directing popular films like ‘Tonic’, ‘Pradhan’, and ‘Prajapati’, alongside hit reality shows such as ‘Dadagiri’, ‘Didi No. 1’, and ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. Annapurna Basu also made her directorial mark with last year’s ‘Sharthopor’. So did Jayabrata Das with ‘Academy of Fine Arts’. Before them was Pritha Chakraborty, who directed ‘Mukherjee Dar Bou’ and ‘Phera’. Behind the scenes, sound mixing engineer Anindit Roy has shaped the audio for major projects, including ‘Ardhangini’, ‘Ajo Ardhangini’, ‘Konttho’, ‘Keu Bole Biplobi, Keu Bole Dakat’, and ‘Saptadingar Guptodhon’.In cinematography, SRFTI has nurtured a multi-generational legacy. Senior technician Supriyo Dutta set a high benchmark with ‘Ranjana Ami Aar Ashbona’. Last year, Manas Bhattacharjee brought his vision to ‘Pinjar’. They paved the way for a vibrant contemporary wave: Appu Prabhakar elevated ‘Binisutoy’ and ‘Robibar’, while Modhura Palit drew praise for ‘Monohar & I’, ‘Tekka’, and ‘Kacher Manush’. Romit Ganguly (‘Deshlai’) and Arnab Laha (‘Dhrubor Aschorjo Jibon’) complete a dynamic roster whose visual impact continues to define the industry.A large number of industry insiders are hesitant to show solidarity due to concerns over how the students disrupted the ongoing event by entering the main theatre and plastering posters. “This sets a bad precedent,” noted a Tollywood stakeholder, adding, “It will give agency to anyone to enter a premise we hire for screening our movies and protest.” BJP MLA and actor Rudranil Ghosh has stated that those protesting against SRFTI event hold ultra-left mentalities and oppose the nation and Sanatan culture.Film-maker Jayabrata Das, who directed Ghosh in ‘Academy of Fine Arts’, pointed out that while figures like Srijit Mukherji, Kaushik Ganguly, Ritwick Chakraborty, and Riddhi Sen have actively spoken out, the broader silence from the mainstream industry is telling. Questioning how seriously the local industry views an institute where 80% of the students are from outside Bengal, he noted that a true synergy between the two has never materialised. “Bloodshed of film students on campus is an issue that should have disturbed Tollywood at large. Either many believe the students are wrong, or SRFTI just doesn’t matter to them,” he said.Actor Rupanjana Mitra attributed the disconnect to a divide between the students and Tollywood. Noting that the industry is navigating its own transitions, including pending guild elections and the end of over 18-hour shifts, she pointed out a lack of mutual support. “Film students have never shown any solidarity when we navigated our problems,” Mitra said. She added that with multiple internal issues to handle, industry members are cautious about posting on social media without verifying the facts. “We have to be cautious in these times. I have often seen how making comments on the basis of half-baked information can land in trouble,” she stated.Palit, however, said that reticence is not new in Tollywood. “I feel that this silence is a regular practice in Bengali film industry. And especially now because of the various political affiliations this is more. I’m not upset. I didn’t expect anything else from the majority of the industry. Few people always do speak up and they have this time as well. And SRFTI is a larger, more national collective than just Tollywood,” Palit said.
