Film on Football Starring Reigning Superstar

Renowned Bengali film actor Prosenjit Chatterjee interacts with folk
artists at Bolpur Stadium in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Sunday | PTI

In his new screen avatar as a football coach, after back-to-back roles in period flicks, 'Jaatiswar'-actor Prosenjit Chatterjee now teams up with Kahaani-man Parambrata Chatterjee for a new Bengali film.

"I play a football coach who has gone through various trials and tribulations in life and is assigned to build a football team in a village. Being the director's actor, I am completely at the command of Param," Prosenjit said on the sidelines of a derby clash at Yuva Bharati Krirangan here today.

"And my son Trishanjit can't take any dig at papa's dribbling skills any more once I am through," Prosenjit, who rated 'Koni' as one of the recent prominent sports films in Bengali, quipped.

Referring to the script, inspired by the tale of the brief coaching stint of a 'Maidan Dronacharya' crippled by a serious accident, Prosenjit said, "Before hearing from Param, I didnot have much knowledge about the incident which befell him. But Param's narration brought the character alive and I identify with him." 

"Indeed the very word 'Fight Koni Fight....' in the 80's sports film stir me whenever I see the movie. I can't be another Khirda but this can be another film to reinvent myself," Prosenjit said.

The Autograph actor, having over three decades film career, found the roar of spectators during the East Bengal-Mohun Bagan derby at the stadium electrifying and said a good sports film was due.

"Having dreamt India being figured in the main draw of the football World Cup, let's hope such films will be precursor to the event," Prosenjit said.

Though we have shared screen space earlier, it is indeed a privilege to get a chance to direct Bumba Da. I have written Lorai (The Fight - For Survival) keeping only him in the mind. The genre of the film is completely different from the ones I have directed earlier." 

The story is about a person?s survival, redemption and how he takes on the challenges, fighting all the odds," Hemlock Society actor Parambrata, having directed critically acclaimed Jio Kaka and Haowa Badal earlier, said.

The film, to be shot on the maidan greens in the next days, is produced by GreenTouch Entertainment.

PTI