Bratya Basu & Kunal Ghosh to share screen in Arindam Sil’s political thriller

KOLKATA: In Bengal, the line between politics and showbiz has always been a thin one, with actors becoming politicians and politicians trying their hand at acting. Now, it’s TMC leader Kunal Ghosh’s turn to face the camera. Ghosh is all set to make his big screen debut in Arindam Sil’s Bengali political thriller ‘Koppur’. Interestingly, he won’t be the only politician in the frame. State education minister and veteran theatre personality Bratya Basu will also be seen sharing screen space with him. While Ghosh plays a powerful MP and the state secretary of a political party, Bratya slips into the role of a sharp-witted homicide cop from Lalbazar.

The film, based on Dipanwita Ray’s novel ‘Antardhaner Nepathye’, is set in 1997 and revolves around a sensational missing case during the Left regime, one that rattled Bengal’s political corridors. The story follows Manisha Mukhopadhyay, played by Rituparna Sengupta, the vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, who vanishes without a trace one morning. Also starring Shaheb Chatterjee and Lahoma Bhattacharya, the film is expected to go on floors this July. On Thursday, Ghosh shared glimpses from the script reading session on social media. While this marks Ghosh’s first time as an actor, he had previously produced the Bengali comedy ‘Balukabela.com’ back in 2012. And of course, he joins a growing list of Bengal politicians who’ve tried their luck in cinema, from Madan Mitra to Partha Bhowmik. Meanwhile, another TMC leader and yesteryear Tollywood queen Satabdi Roy is also making a return to films after 15 long years. Her latest Bengali release ‘Batsorik’ hits theatres today.