Several actors and directors from the Kolkata film industry also known as Tollywood have expressed shock over the mob lynching of Bangladeshi Muslim actor Shanto Khan and mourned his death but fell short of even mentioning the atrocities on fellow Hindu members of Bangladesh film industry, if not the atrocities on the uninvolved minority Hindu population of Bangladesh.

Actor Shanto Khan has been also active in West Bengal film industry and has done various movies in Kolkata and several people from Tollywood feel deep bond with Khan who was killed by murderous mobs in Dhaka while fleeing his home for a hideout.

The Kolkata film industry infected with the sociological disease of Seculiritis, had been maintaining a strategic silence on the communal atrocities on the Hindus of Bangladesh and even the fellow Hindu members of Bangladesh film industry.

It was unlikely because Kolkata film industry members are known for yelling about rights of Muslims from Syria to Palestine to Myanmar but conveniently maintain mum on atrocities on Hindus in Pakistan, Bangladesh and even West Bengal at the hands of Islamists.

Rajatabha Dutta, the most popular villain of Tollywood who has worked with Khan in Bangladeshi movie Bikkhov (2022), told Press Trust of India that he is deeply saddened by his death:

"I was stunned after hearing the news that he and his father were killed. We don't know the circumstances leading to their deaths. It saddens my heart to learn they were killed. Artists like us who thrive on art and creativity always yearn for peace, amity and brotherhood... During our shoot in Chandpur (in Bangladesh) for the movie, he personally took care of my needs. He was attentive to my needs even at the hotel. I do not know how or why he had to die at such a young age when his career was looking up" - Rajatabha Dutta.

However when the PTI asked him his comments on the overall situation in Bangladesh, which includes the atrocities on the Hindus on Bangladesh:

Rajatabha Dutta said he does not wish to comment on the situation in Bangladesh.

Kaushani Mukherjee, another Kolkata actress who has worked with Shanto Khan in the movie Piya Re (2021), recalled to the PTI how during the shoot Shanto Khan made her feel comfortable, and gave her a sense of belonging rather than as an outsider. 

"I got the deeply disturbing news late Monday night and have remained distressed ever since," - Kaushani Mukherjee.

Kaushani Mukherjee also didn't speak on the overall situation in Bangladesh.

One of the most successful filmmaker of Kolkata industry Raj Chakraborty who is also a TMC leader, boasted a humanist approach in his statement:

Any death, be it of a protesting student, a policeman, an actor, a producer or a political activist, is shocking. All of us have fond memories of working in Bangladesh. I am not merely saying this as a stakeholder of the film industry, but also as a human being and a citizen of India." - Raj Chakraborty.

Raj Chakraborty's inclusiveness expressed in "Any death, be it of a protesting student, a policeman, an actor, a producer or a political activist" strategically missed out The Minority Hindus.

The minority Hindus of Bangladesh were excluded from Raj Chakraborty's definition of inclusiveness.

According to the PTI report veteran actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay who has acted in Bangla as well as Hindi film industry- is famous in Bangladesh too. Parambrata at occasions has tried to whitewash the atrocities on the Hindus by Muslim fanatics. This time too he strategically avoided addressing the atrocities on Hindus.

Parambrata denounced the vandalization of statues of iconic figures (like Sheikh Mujibur Rehman) during the turmoil but avoided mentioning the vandalization and destruction of Hindu properties, temples and deities.

The Bengal film industry has been historically silent in all occasions of atrocities on the Hindus in Bangladesh despite commercializing their Bengali identity. Their silence in the current crisis is only a burning example.

Even while condemning the death of Shanto Khan, these people didn't even mention the arson of Bangladeshi Hindu singer, Rahul Ananda's house.