Kolkata, Sept. 4: Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty has been named cultural advisor to the West Bengal government, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Friday as the state laid the foundation stone for a new film centre dedicated to legendary actor Uttam Kumar.
The Uttam Kumar Film Centre, planned at New Town on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore, with the state Information & Cultural Affairs Department having already sanctioned the amount. The project is being designed as a three-part cultural and film infrastructure complex.
Announcing Chakraborty’s appointment at the foundation stone-laying ceremony, Adhikari also said prominent figures from the Bengali film industry, or Tollywood, would be felicitated in the coming days until September 6. He said the government would leave the selection of the honourees to a committee comprising people from the silver-screen industry.
The chief minister said the government would also stay out of the design process for the proposed film centre, leaving the task to experts from the Bengali film industry. He said the government’s role would be to provide support rather than interfere in decisions concerning the facility.
The centre will be modelled entirely on the existing Nandan Cultural Centre in central Kolkata. Its first section will include two cinema halls with a combined seating capacity of 750, along with a preview theatre, food court and parking facilities.
The second section will have a 1,000-seat auditorium and an open-air theatre intended for cultural events. The third will house laboratories and studios focused on animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, extended reality and film post-production.
Work on the project has already moved beyond the initial site assessment, with soil testing and site selection completed. The Detailed Project Report process is currently underway, according to the chief minister.
Construction agencies under the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation will begin work after the monsoon season, Adhikari said. He also directed state Information & Culture Secretary Soumitra Mohan and WBHIDCO Managing Director Bibhu Goel to coordinate with the centenary committee and finalise the designs.
The appointment of Chakraborty as cultural advisor comes alongside the government’s plans to expand infrastructure for cinema and related creative sectors through the New Town centre.
