Kamal Ghorui
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to death.The Bengali entertainment industry is mourning the loss of Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, popularly known as Rahul. The 43-year-old actor was shooting for the Bengali television show ‘Bhole Baba Par Karega’ in Digha. According to Anandabazar Patrika, the actor drowned in the sea in Talsari and was rescued by technicians after some time.He was rushed to a hospital in Digha around 6 PM, where doctors reportedly declared him dead on arrival. Preliminary reports suggest drowning as the cause of death, although the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.Bhaskar Banerjee, who plays another character on the same TV show, told Anandabazar that the entire unit had gone to Talsari for the shoot. According to him, Rahul went into the sea after pack-up. When he did not return for a long time, the team went looking for him.Actor Diganta Bagchi, speaking on behalf of the Artists’ Forum, told Anandabazar that Rahul had gone to the sea after the shoot wrapped. He added that Rahul was still alive when he was rescued by technicians, but was declared dead after being taken to the hospital.Arunoday Banerjee, better known as Rahul, made his stage debut at the age of three with his father Biswanath Banerjee’s theatre troupe, Bijoygarh Atmaprakash, in the play ‘Raj Darshan’. Since then, he had performed in hundreds of stage shows, both with his father’s troupe and with Theatron.Alongside theatre, Rahul ventured into films and television, gaining his breakthrough with the TV show ‘Khela’, where he played the role of Aditya. He later became a household name with the Raj Chakraborty-directed film ‘Chirodini Tumi Je Amar’.He was also known for his performances in projects like ‘Zulfiqar’, ‘Na Hannyate’, ‘Byomkesh Phire Elo’, and ‘Academy of Fine Arts’, among many other notable works in his career.In recent years, he launched his own podcast, ‘Shohoj Katha’, which received praise and recognition.On the personal front, he was married to actress and co-star from ‘Chirodini Tumi Je Amar’, Priyanka Sarkar. The couple separated in 2017 but reunited in 2023. They have a son, Shohoj Banerjee.
