Bela De is an inspiration: Rituparna Sengupta

For Bengalis, food is at the heart of every conversation, celebration and memory. Naturally, the name Bela De holds a special place, especially among those who are passionate about cooking and collect cookbooks with care. In a time when post-independence India saw most women hesitant to speak their minds, Bela De broke the glass ceiling. She was a cartoonist, a government employee, a radio jockey and a writer.

Widely known as the ‘genius of Bengali cuisine’, her cookbooks, namely ‘Rannar Abanibash’, ‘Ranna Abhidhan’ and ‘Tiffiner Tuktaki’ became household staples, reviving lost and traditional recipes for a new generation. Now, the Bengali audiences will get to watch the life of the legendary radio host and culinary icon on the big screen.

Directed by Anilava Chattopadhyay, the film stars Rituparna Sengupta. The first look of the Bengali film was unveiled at De’s house in North Kolkata on a rainy afternoon. “I was extremely happy when this role came my way. Bela De is an inspiration. At that time, her radio show inspired so many other women to become financially independent,” said the National Award-winning actress.

The film also stars Padmanabha Dasgupta, Bhaskar Chatterjee, Basabdatta Chatterjee and Debdut Ghosh. Debpratim Dasgupta steps into the legendary role of Birendra Krishna Bhadra.