Bengali Filmmaker Arindam Sil Suspended Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Bengali filmmaker and actor Arindam Sil has been suspended by the Directors Association of Eastern India (DAEI) over allegations of sexual harassment on the sets of one of his films.

Sil, who is also the executive producer for several Bollywood movies like Te3n, Gunday and Kahaani, was suspended based on "prima facie evidence".

In a letter to the director, the film body's president Subrata Sen and secretary Sudeshna Roy said the allegations against him were of "deep concern" and "maligning" the organisation.

"Due to certain allegations made against you, and prima facie evidences we have with us, which are of deep concern and is maligning to the entire organisation, DAEI has decided to suspend you from membership for indefinite period or till the allegations against you are cleared," a statement by DAEI read, adding that the suspension "comes into force with immediate effect."

A noted filmmaker, Sil was also honoured by the West Bengal government with the Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Samman award in 2014.

This comes amid a storm of #MeToo allegations that has shaken the Malayalam film industry. The past month saw a wave of rape and assault allegations against senior Malayalam actors and film directors ever since the Justice Hema Committee report was released.

Several cases have been filed against top actors and directors, including veteran actors Siddique, Mukesh (also an MLA with Kerala's ruling CPIM) and filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan.

Amid the flurry of allegations, superstar Mohanlal resigned as President of the under-fire Association of Malayalam Movie Actors, or AMMA. All members of the film body's executive committee also submitted their resignations.

A statement said that the film body had taken "moral responsibility" and dissolved itself "in light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee".