First look: TMC leaders star in film on CU official who vanished in Left era

KOLKATA: Back in 1997, Manisha Mukhopadhyay, then the assistant controller of examinations at Calcutta University, vanished without a trace, just like camphor. Her sudden disappearance sparked countless theories and left the city buzzing with speculation. Now, nearly 28 years later, director Arindam Sil is revisiting the sensational case on the big screen with his upcoming Bengali film ‘Korpur’.

Inspired by Dipannita Roy’s gripping novel ‘Antardhaner Nepathye’, the film promises to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance and the investigation that followed. Leading the cast is Rituparna Sengupta, who steps into the role of Moushumi Sen, a character modelled on Manisha. Joining her are state Education minister Bratya Basu, playing a homicide officer from Kolkata Police and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, who makes his acting debut as a political heavyweight. On Tuesday, the characters’ looks were revealed at a city hotel and they instantly grabbed attention.

Basu is seen in multiple getups to reflect the film’s timeline, from 1997 to 2019. Ghosh’s appearance, meanwhile, had many recalling the late CPM stalwart Anil Biswas from the heyday of the Left Front.

“I’m making my acting debut and I’m really excited. Whatever I have done in life, I have given it my all,” said Ghosh. Interestingly, it was Basu who came up with the film’s title, ‘Korpur’, which he calls an “intense socio-political thriller.” Sil added that the film will be packed with twists and will be shot across 57 locations in just 18 days in Kolkata.

While AI will be used creatively in the film, the director clarified that it won’t be to recreate the era.

The Bengali thriller also stars Sil as Rituparna’s husband, Saheb Chattopadhyay, Arpan Ghoshal and Lahoma among others.