All artistes should be respected: Dev-Subhashree Ganguly say on their first-ever live video

Dev and Subhashree Ganguly went live together on Facebook on Monday for the first time, drawing over 557K views and 13K comments, and counting. The duo slipped into an easy adda, answering fan questions about DeSu7 – their seventh film that’s slated for a Pujo release. Described by Dev as a ‘kind-of thriller with action and romantic’, the conversation blended nostalgia, candour, and more. ‘when an artiste loses respect, he is left with nothing’During their candid chat, Dev and Subhashree addressed the ongoing boycott of Anirban Bhattacharya by the technicians’ federation, opening up a larger conversation about dignity, livelihoods, and the responsibility of leadership within the industry. When Subhashree asked why Anirban was not being allowed to work and whether he was part of DeSu7, Dev responded: “I don’t fully know what the issue with Anirban is or how it began, but there is clearly a dispute between him and the federation. I want everyone to be able to work peacefully. And I want him to work with us in this film.” Calling the Bengali film industry “very small,” Dev stressed that “there are very few heroes, and banning one brings a lot of work to a halt.” A leader’s job is to ensure livelihoods, not stop them,” Dev said, underscoring that “an artiste lives on respect — forcing people to plead for mercy is not our culture.” He was blunt: “If an artiste loses dignity, he is left with nothing.” Subhashree echoed his appeal, saying, “We are a political state, but our people are also gentle and culturally rich. An actor as talented as Anirban da is a matter of pride for our industry.”‘We don’t want to live in the past anymore’Moving past old narratives, Subhashree and Dev urged fans to focus on the present. “We don’t want to live in the past anymore… moving forward is what life is about,” said Subhashree, adding they work together again “with the support of our partners.” Dev thanked Rukmini (Maitra) and Raj (Chakrabarty) and asked viewers for restraint online: “Please don’t make comments that insult our partners.” She added, “They deserve respect too.”