Kolkata: Trinamool Congress candidate Bratya Basu watched Sofia Coppola's 'Lost in Translation' on Thursday, while Bharatiya Janata Party's Agnimitra Paul viewed the film 'Assi' on an OTT platform on Wednesday, immediately after polling for Bengal's two-phase elections concluded.
With the hectic poll schedule over, many candidates from Tollywood have found time to catch a film or two before the results are announced on May 4.
It is unusual for one of Bengal's actor-turned-politicians to have a film release just two days after the Assembly elections and two days before the results. BJP's Roopa Ganguly's 'Pratyabartan' is releasing on Friday. Film corridors are pointing at a distinct political resonance in the name. "The timing of the release is coincidental. The name is very relevant in the context of the film's plot. Though I have lots of meetings to attend, I will certainly attend the premiere," Ganguly said. Director Samarpan Sengupta told TOI, "The film has no political connection. Roopa-di and Anjan Dutt are playing an elderly couple."
Basu, who is catching up on the Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson starrer, said his fondness for films set in Tokyo, especially Wim Wenders's 'Perfect Days', might have influenced his choice of watching the Coppola film. "I loved the film's promo. The fact that it is a Tokyo-based movie may have also prompted me to want to watch it," Basu said.
The elections have been so demanding that any conversation around movies had not even registered for Raj Chakraborty. "The last two months were completely devoted to the polls, and I was mostly stationed in Barrackpore. Meeting my wife and children after polling ended on Wednesday was my biggest detox. I dropped my son off at school on Thursday," he said. "My hard disc has gone upside down during the polls. Movies are the last thing on my mind now. I even told that to the makers of 'Pratyabartan' who came to invite me for the premiere on Friday. Last term, I contested the polls as a director. This time, I contested as a politician. My wife asked me to watch 'Dhurandar 2' because she felt it would entertain me as a film-maker. But I told her that for me the big picture is on May 4. My wife is taking me to Puri to pray to Lord Jagannath. That's a ritual for us. I will fly on Friday morning and return at night. After that, I will be stationed in Barrackpore. It is important to ensure that the strong rooms are protected, too," Chakraborty said.
After a gruelling poll season, during which she was stationed in Asansol, fashion designer-turned-politician Paul was at the school to pick up her son on Thursday. "I pick my son up from school when I am in Kolkata. But the polls kept me so busy for three months," Paul said. "I was so busy that I hadn't been able to watch any film in six months. On Thursday night, I decided to watch a woman-oriented film and chose 'Assi'. At this age and stage in my life, I am no longer interested in watching romantic movies. I enjoyed this film. On Friday, I will be returning to Asansol to prepare for the counting," she added.
