Kolkata, September 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty has been named cultural advisor to the West Bengal government, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Friday.
Adhikari made the announcement while attending the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the proposed Uttam Kumar Film Centre at New Town on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
The film centre is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore, which has already been sanctioned by the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department.
The Chief Minister said experts from the Bengali film industry would be given responsibility for finalising the centre’s design and made it clear that the state government would not interfere in the creative process.
“I feel that those who are associated with the sector should be given freehand to do that work. Our task is to provide support. We will not meddle in everything, since that is not desirable,” Adhikari said.
The proposed centre will be modelled on Kolkata’s Nandan Cultural Centre and will comprise three major sections.
The first section will have two cinema halls with a combined seating capacity of 750, along with a preview theatre, food court and parking facilities. The second will include a 1,000-seat auditorium and an open-air theatre for cultural programmes.
The third section will house laboratories and studios focused on animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, extended reality and film post-production.
Adhikari said soil testing and site selection had already been completed, while the Detailed Project Report was being prepared. Construction agencies under the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) are expected to begin work after the monsoon season.
He directed state Information and Cultural Affairs Secretary Soumitra Mohan and WBHIDCO Managing Director Bibhu Goel to coordinate with the centenary committee and finalise the designs.
The Chief Minister also said prominent Tollywood personalities would be felicitated over the coming days, with the process continuing until September 6. He said the government would not interfere in selecting the honourees, with the responsibility resting with a committee comprising members of the film industry.
FOLLOW NOW
