Weekend roundup: Bengali films and celebs who made the headlines

Whether it’s ‘Tarikh’ winning prestigious awards, rumours of ‘Khela Jakhon’ shoot starting soon, Suman Ghosh directed ‘Adhaar’s world premiere, Shieladitya Moulik announcing his next film; it was a week full of rumors and exciting news from the Tollywood industry. Here is a quick look at Bengali cinema's some of the most exciting news from this week.

Arindam Sil’s ‘Khela Jakhon’ which was postponed earlier this year and was supposed to be bankrolled by SVF has got a new banner and will go on the floors soon. The casting change of ‘Khela Jakhon’ came with a huge surprise at that time. Instead of Sayani Gupta, Mimi Chakraborty was chosen for the female lead Urmi. Abir Chatterjee who was supposed to play Urmi’s husband allegedly turned down the role which was given to Anirban Bhattacharya. Arindam will soon start shooting for the film but this time under the banner of Camellia Productions. Interestingly, Mimi had already started attending workshops prepping for this film particular and when SVF postponed the project she was a bit sad. However, Arindam has already confirmed he will make this film only with Mimi and we hear the actress has also given her nod.

When her film ‘Tarikh’ recently won the National Award director Churni Ganguly was a bit aggrieved that it wasn’t allowed to run for more than 5 days at the Kolkata multiplexes. However, despite the harsh treatment, ‘Tarikh’ continues to win laurels at international cinema. The latest being three awards at the prestigious Los Angeles Film Awards 2019. The categories in which the ‘slice-of-a-life drama won awards are Best Song, Best Editing and Best Narrative Feature. It’s not often you get the chance to represent your country on international platforms and when you get the chance it’s indeed a moment of pride and honour.

Bengali movie buffs will soon relive the world of Apu — the central character of Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy in Subhrajit Mitra’s period film ‘Avijatrik — The Wanderlust of Apu’. It’s Arjun Chakrabarty who will essay the iconic character Apu and he equally thrilled to be a part of the film just like his director. “It’s an honour to be a part of such an ambitious project, especially since there is already so much cinematic history attached to Apu and his universe. The script is unlike any other that I have worked on so far. I am eagerly looking forward to this journey. It is up to people to compare me with Soumitra kaku (uncle). My portrayal of Apu will not be inspired by his role. I will go by the brief of my director,” said an excited Arjun

Film Federation of India (FFI) is set to organize an awards ceremony in Dhaka to boost the entertainment industry in India and Bangladesh. The Federation will also help in developing the Bangladesh film industry along with promoting Indian films there. “We want to create an environment where both countries can do business. The first Bharat-Bangla Film Awards to be held in Dhaka on October 21 is a step in that direction,” FFI president Firdausal Hasan said during a media interaction. A jury committee comprising filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, actor-minister Bratya Basu, actress Tanusree Chakraborty apart from a producer and a journalist from Bangladesh, will select the Bengali films nominated for awards and there will be awards in 12 categories. From the Bangladesh side, there will also be 12 categories.

Suman Ghosh whose last Bengali directorial ‘Basu Poribaar’ floored everyone has one more reason to cheer for. His Bollywood debut directorial ‘Adhaar’ will be screened at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival. It tells the story of the first man in Jharkhand who received Aadhar card. Suman couldn’t stop himself from sharing the good news on social media. “Honoured to have our World Premiere at Busan International Film Festival. Thank you to my cast and crew and my producers @DrishyamFilms @ItsVineetSingh @ShantanuMoitra @resulp @ravi_ayyagari @imsanjaimishra @Raghavguptaa,” read his tweet.

National award-winning director Goutam Ghose whose latest Hindi directorial ‘Raahgir’ will have its world premiere at the Busan Film Festival on October 21 has a pretty interesting subject in mind for his next and it’s his dream project. When we asked the seasoned director about the same he gave a brief idea about the topic which is definitely something to look forward to. “I have a dream project of making a historical film on Dara Shikoh, the heir apparent of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was killed by Aurangzeb. He was a scholar and was inclined towards a culture of harmony. Had Dara Shikoh been the emperor, the history of our land perhaps would have been different,” said the director.

After receiving critical acclaim for his first Bengali film ‘Sweater’, director Shieladitya Moulik is all set to hit the floor with his next from this month. The yet to be titled film is a love triangle featuring Arpita Chatterjee, Shaheb Chatterjee and Prantik Banerjee in the lead. “The film will see Arpita, Saheb and Prantik in a never-seen-before avatar. Compared to my debut film, Sweater, this one will have a wider emotional reach. The actors are attending workshops to fit into their characters," reveals the filmmaker who has also penned the story of the upcoming film.

Actress turned politician Mimi Chakraborty has a lot on her plate right now. Besides her work as the newly elected MP from Jadavpur, Mimi is all set to launch his first music album. She has started her own Youtube channel and released the teaser of her album recently. Soon, she will get back to the shooting floor for Arindam Sil's thriller ‘Khela Jokhon’. She is also going through several scripts. According to industry sources, she may play the lead in Pratim D. Gupta and Dhruba Banerjee's next.