Srijit Mukherji unveils first look of ‘Emperor vs Sarat Chandra’

Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has unveiled the first glimpse of his upcoming film "Emperor vs Sarat Chandra", with Tota Roy Choudhury appearing as legendary Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

The film is being made to mark the centenary of "Pather Dabi", Sarat Chandra's iconic novel set against the backdrop of the anti-British freedom movement. Following the project's official announcement last October and the start of filming in January, the makers had kept details about the cast's characters under wraps.

The mystery was partially unveiled yesterday (Wednesday) with the release of a 59-second pre-teaser.

The atmospheric clip shows Tota Roy Choudhury as Sarat Chandra, seated at a desk in a rain-soaked setting, dressed in a traditional white dhoti and panjabi. As lines from "Pather Dabi" play in the background, the author turns towards the camera and says, "Then let us meet this Puja. Let Sabyasachi be with us."

The teaser also offers the first look at Abir Chatterjee as Sabyasachi, the central character of "Pather Dabi". In the brief appearance, Abir is seen holding two pistols while dressed in a white shirt, coat and hat.

Published in 1926, "Pather Dabi" became one of the most influential political novels in Bengali literature. The revolutionary character Sabyasachi inspired a generation of young readers during British rule and is widely believed to have been modelled on a prominent revolutionary figure of the time.

According to the makers, "Emperor vs Sarat Chandra" will revisit that turbulent period of resistance and explore the historical context surrounding the novel and its impact.

Besides Tota Roy Choudhury and Abir Chatterjee, the cast also includes Mimi Chakraborty, Divyani Mondal and Rik Chatterjee. However, details regarding their characters have yet to be revealed.

The makers have also confirmed that the film will be released during this year's Durga Puja festivities.

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Produced by Nandy Movies, "Emperor vs Sarat Chandra" is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated Bengali releases of the festive season.