Big Tollywood turnout, Nachiketa takes a dig at Modi govt with new song
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always been close to the Bengali film and TV fraternity. Therefore, it was no surprise to see a large turnout of Bengali celebrities at TMC’s Shahid Diwas mega rally on Sunday in the city.
Despite their busy shooting schedule and incessant rain, several Tollywood stars made time to attend the event. Among them were Hooghly’s new TMC MP and ‘Didi No 1’ Rachana Banerjee, Ghatal’s star TMC MP Dev, Barrackpore’s MLA Raj Chakraborty, Baranagar’s new MLA Sayantika Banerjee, Midnapore’s new MP June Maliah, actor and MLA Soham Chakraborty and Jadavpur’s new MP Saayoni Ghosh. India’s star former cricketer and now Behrampore’s new TMC MP Yusuf Pathan was also present along with cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad.
“This is my first Shahid Diwas after becoming an MP, so I am looking forward to what message Didi has for us in the coming days,” said Saayoni.
Meanwhile, several Bengali TV celebrities were seen arriving at the venue on a bus. Director Sudeshna Roy, Sudipta Banerjee, Sritama Bhattacharya, Rezwan Rabbani Sheikh, Sonamoni Saha, Lovely Maitra, Soma Banerjee, Rana Mitra, Hritojeet Chottopadhay, Subhadra Mukherjee, and many others reached the Shahid Diwas stage together. ‘Mithai’ actress Soumitrisha Kundu, Priya Pal, Subhaprasanna, and Subhodh Sarkar were also spotted.
Despite their involvement in the Trinamool campaign, former TMC MPs Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty were absent from the Martyrs’ Day event. Actors Bonny Sengupta, Koushani Mukherjee, Neel Bhattacharya and Trina Saha were also missing. However, Bengali actress and former BJP candidate Srabanti was seen on stage, seeking blessings from the TMC supremo. Actress Rimjhim Mitra also made an appearance after quitting BJP.
Like every year, veteran singer Nachiketa Chakraborty enthralled the audience with his songs. This time, he composed a new song for Shahid Diwas, titled ‘Hoyto Tomari Jonye,’ which criticized the Modi government’s indifference towards Manipur and the farmers’ movement. On the stage, he also mentioned that the gathering was eagerly awaiting the CM’s speech, and said, “Didi Ebar Tumi Esho,” and sang ‘Tumi Ashbe Bolei’. Singers such as Surojit and Soumitra of Bhoomi also performed at the event.
Birbhum’s four-time TMC MP Satabdi Roy upped the fashion quotient at the event with her red silk saree, yellow blouse, and fabric jewellery. “Much like Durga Puja and Kali Puja, the 21st July rally has become a festival in its
own right.
The massive turnout shows the trust people have in TMC and Mamata Banerjee,” said the actress-turned-politician. When celebrities are present, style is never left behind. Almost all the Bengali stars were seen in white attire. Rachana Banerjee wore a cream-coloured saree, while Srabanti was dressed in a chikankari salwar kameez. Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad opted for light-coloured kurta-pajamas. However, TMC MP Dev defied the traditional political fashion by making a statement in a black t-shirt and trousers, paired
with sunglasses.
