Popular Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died on Sunday in Odisha after a drowning accident in the sea at Talsari beach, news agency PTI reported, citing film industry source.
Banerjee was 43 years old at the time of the incident and is survived by his wife, actor Priyanka Sarkar and 13-year-old son.
‘Crew was shouting, pulled him out of sea’
As per Diganta Bagchi, who was Banerjee’s co-actor in the Bengali soap ‘Bhole Baba Par Karega’, the 43-year-old had gone to the beach for the shooting.
“After today’s shoot, he went alone to the water but somehow got entangled in something under the water… The exact circumstances are not clear. Suddenly, people, including crew members, were shouting that Rahul was drowning and we pulled him out of the water. We rushed him to Digha hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead,” Bagchi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The actor was declared dead at Digha hospital, said a officer with West Bengal Police.
“We have contacted our counterparts in Odisha to ascertain the sequence of events. A case of unnatural death has been registered in Digha police station as well. We are also talking to his production team members and eyewitnesses,” the official told PTI.
CM extends condolences
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday extended her condolences following the actor’s untimely death.
“I am shocked, deeply saddened to hear the news that the distinguished, young, and popular actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is suddenly no longer among us,” she wrote on X.
“I am unable to comprehend what exactly happened. He was one of my favourite actors and a person I truly admired. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family, loved ones, and countless admirers,” she said, adding that the actor’s passing was an “irreparable loss to the Bengali entertainment industry, Tollywood and television.”
Rahul Arunoday Banerjee was a known face and name in the Bengali entertainment industry. He shot to fame with his role in the blockbuster ‘Chirodini tumi je amar’ in 2008.
After this, he starred in ‘Tumi asbe bole’ (2014), ‘Zulfiqar’ (2016), ‘Byomkesh Gotro’ (2018), ‘Biday Byomkesh’ (2018), ‘The Academy of Fine Arts’ (2025), among others.
He also acted in TV serials such as ‘Hargouri pice hotel’ and ‘Mohonna’.
(With inputs from PTI)
