Bengali director Arindam Sheel expelled for inappropriately kissing actress

Kolkata: Renowned Bengali director Arindam Sheel has been suspended by the Directors Guild following a complaint from an actress. The actress alleged that Arindam acted inappropriately during a film shoot, leading her to file a formal complaint with the Women's Commission.

According to Subrata Sen, President of the Guild, Arindam will remain suspended and will not be considered for membership or other roles in the organisation until he can prove his innocence. He stated that action would be taken on any complaint supported by credible evidence. The Guild's press release noted that preliminary evidence against Arindam has been found.

The incident in question reportedly occurred a few months ago on the set of one of Arindam's films. The actress alleged that Arindam kissed her on the cheek while explaining a scene. This led to a formal complaint with the Women's Commission, which conducted three hearings on the matter, including one involving Arindam.

On Friday, Arindam appeared before the commission and offered an apology, expressing regret if his actions had caused any offence to the actress. Despite his apology, the Director's Association of Eastern India decided to expel Arindam from the guild.

In response, Arindam criticised the guild for taking action without hearing his side of the story.