Popular Bengali Actor Rituparna's Conch Shell Video Draws Online Criticism, Spawns Memes Amid Kolkata Protests

Bengali actor Rituparna Sengupta, on Independence Day, joined the protests against the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital earlier this month and posted a video of her blowing a conch shell and seeking justice. She said she could not join the live protests as she was travelling abroad.

However, she faced criticism for her video. While some called her out for “fake drama", others pointed towards bad editing.

A barrage of memes on her video flooded the internet where some people said it seemed like she was trying to drink water from the conch shell and not blow it and others pointed out that she had chosen the wrong conch. Following the backlash, the Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh actress, finally decided to take down the video from her account.

Actor reacts

Clarifying her intent behind making the video, the actor posted, “Playing the conch shell in response to a tragedy that has shaken Kolkata and the entire world cannot be seen as mere theatrics. The brutality of this crime sends a chill down one’s spine. I have a daughter at home. So, if anyone thinks that my playing the conch shell with tearful eyes and without makeup was just a show, I want to tell them that this is my declaration of war against such brutality in our society."

“Lord Krishna used to blow the conch shell to start and end battles. I may not be good at blowing the conch shell and many of you might do it better, but my intention was not just to speak but to show through action that this is indeed a real battle. We will not stop until we see justice served," she added.

Apart from internet users, Bengali actor Shrilekha Moitra slammed Sengupta over ‘fake drama’. She said the actor (who was linked to Trinamool’s Rose Valley, food smuggling scams) was “trying to save her skin by calling the horror apolitical".

The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the case and will hear a suo motu petition on Tuesday. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which took notice of the incident, has placed the case at the top of the agenda for the hearing. The CBI, probing the case, has been granted permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer.

The CBI officers also questioned the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, for the fourth consecutive day on Monday in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Junior doctors continue the nationwide protest over the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor, even as the Union health ministry approved a 25 per cent enhancement in security deployment at central hospitals.