Pota to make Tolly debut in Rituparna's film

The singer has been roped in to play an important role in Debi Chowdhurani
Not so long back, he made a splash on Bigg Boss Bangla. And in keeping with the trend followed by his national counterparts, Pota too is venturing into cinema. The singer will make his debut with Ujjal Chakraborty’s Debi Chowdhurani, starring Rituparna Sengupta in the eponymous role. The director has cast him as a poet-singer.“Pota plays the role of Ratiram Das, who wasn’t there in the Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay novel. But research has revealed the presence of the poet during the Fakir-Sannyasi Rebellion. Not only would he travel through villages during that time, but his songs were a reflection of his time. In the film, Ratiram is an important character,” says Ujjal.
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Pota, who has a plenty of hits to his credit, will also be lending his voice to three songs in the movie. “We have on us some of Ratiram’s songs, written around 1775. Srijato will be rewriting the lyrics, as the words are difficult to understand. Music is scored by Debajyoti Mishra. Pota, being a singer, will be able to do full justice to this character. At one crucial juncture in the movie, Ratiram asks Bhabani Pathak, who trains Debi Chowdhurani, if he should choose the sword over music. But Bhabani tells him that music has the reach that sword doesn’t,” says the director.
The singer, too, is upbeat about his Tolly debut. “I’ve been part of plays and street theatre while in college. After going through the script, I was quite confident about pulling off this role. Though small, it’s integral to the film. Also, I can be myself, as the role is that of a singer. The script is very strong and got me hooked. For me, it’s a lot about knowing our past,” says Pota.
The singer has given his dates in October — the peak season for live concerts. “The movie will be shot entirely in north Bengal at a time when I’m expected to do many shows. But Ujjalda has promised to let me do my gigs. I’m looking forward to begin shooting,” says Pota.