Bengal actors facing financial distress due to lockdown get assistance

Kolkata, Apr 21 () The relief fund set up by theWest Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum for artists facingfinancial distress due to suspension of shootings hascollected over Rs 18 lakh from several eminent personalities.

A significant number of artists are facing an extremecrisis due to stoppage in shootings of films, serials and webseries, a statement by the Forum said.

"With no sign of things normalising in the nearfuture, we hope there will be more contribution from well-wishers consisting of people from the entertainment industryas well as members of the public," it said.

The Forum has already provided financial assistancetotalling to Rs 7.86 lakh to 393 artists, it said.

Each artist is getting an assistance of Rs 2,000 everymonth and it will continue till June, the Forun said.

"We are receiving more written appeals for financialhelp every day," a forum spokesman said.

"We will require to build up a fund of Rs 50 lakh tobe of help to the large number of poor artists and we arehopeful of reaching that amount one day," the statement said.

The Forum also donated Rs 3 lakh to the technicians'guild, Rs 1 lakh to technicians in theatre stage shows whohave suddenly turned unemployed due to the coronavirus crisis.

Shootings of Bengali films, serials and web series aresuspended since March 17. SUSSOM SOM