Mrinal Sen biopic ‘Padatik’ goes on floor, Chanchal Chowdhury says ‘my courage and qualifications will be tested’

While he’s still basking on the success of his last release ‘Hawa’, Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury has a monumental task ahead. The seasoned actor is set to play none other than Mrinal Sen in Srijit Mukherji’s film ‘Padatik’, a biopic on the life of the legendary filmmaker. Chanchal’s first look as Mrinal Sen is already out and receiving quite a lot of applause from critics and fans alike.On Sunday (January 15), camera started rolling for the film creating much hype among cine buffs.

While Chanchal Chowdhury will be seen as the iconic filmmaker, Monami Ghosh is set to play his wife Geeta Sen. Samrat Chakrabarti will be seen as Mrinal sen’s son Kunal Sen in the film and Korak Samanta takes on the younger version of Sen.

Chanchal is well aware of the excitement and at the same time the Bengali sentiment involved. "One should have tremendous courage and qualifications to portray an icon like Mrinal Sen on the celluloid. I know my courage, qualifications and craftsmanship will face a stiff test in Padatik. It still feels surreal to even think about how I will enact Mrinal Sen on screen but we actors always look for such roles that people call dream moments" the actor shared.

On the other hand, Srijit shares, “We all know Mrinal Sen as the game-changing, convention-challenging doyen of World Cinema. This film will shed light on his struggle, his eventful journey and his views on the fast-changing world.”
Only a few days ago, even Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan sent his "good wishes" to Srijit’s film. Interestingly, Srijit’s film ‘Padatik’ shares the same title of Mrinal Sen's 1974 cult classic, a part of his Calcutta Trilogy.