Baghini: Bengal Tigress, a film directed by Nehal Dutta, starring Ruma Chakraborty in the lead role involves the story of a woman politician from West Bengal. There is talk of paribartan (change) brought about in Bengal and the politician’s role in bringing about this change through her hard work, commitment and political agitation. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on May 3.
Chakraborty’s hair tied in a loose bun, she is seen in the recently released trailer wearing thin bordered white sarees and white-and-blue hawai chappal. She is addressed as “didi” and has an uncanny resemblance with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The producers and director however, say that the film is not a biopic of Mamata Banerjee, but has been “inspired” by her life. Ruma Chakraborty who plays the lead role – has enacted the role of Mamata Banerjee in several jatras. In her interviews with the media, she has donned the same look, sipping tea from an earthen cup with a jhola bag hanging from her shoulder.
The trailer shows the woman’s firm resolve in working for the people from a young age, and how she goes on to fight for the land rights of the state’s poor. In the trailer, Chakraborty is being pulled by the hair by a woman cop and she tells some police personnel that she would come back to the same place with her head held high and that the cops would be compelled to “salute” her with their heads bowed down before her. Episodes in the trailer have similarities with “real life incidents” known about Mamata Banerjee.
There have been a series of biopics in mainstream Bollywood films in recent times including one on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, after receiving several complaints from Opposition parties, the Election Commission last week stopped the release of the film till the end of the elections, calling it a “threat to the level-playing field”.
Elections in Bengal are being held in seven phases – April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12 and 19. Even if Baghini: Bengal Tigress releases on May 3, there are still three more days when elections will be held in West Bengal.
With the release of the film’s trailer, Opposition political parties in West Bengal are now thinking of taking up the matter with the state chief electoral officer Aariz Aftab.
“If a biopic on Narendra Modi cannot be released due to the model code of conduct, how can a film on Mamata Banerjee be released?” said leader of a political party, who did not want to be named. “We are planning to take this up with the Election Commission, but have yet to come to a decision. Not admitting that this a biopic of the West Bengal CM is merely to dodge the law. Let the EC examine whether the film can be released,” he said.
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