Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI) Nearly six decades after filmmaker Tapan Sinha dished out cult movie ‘Kabuliwala’, based on a timeless story written by Rabindranath Tagore, another Bengali film with Mithun Chakraborty in the lead role will retell the tale, hitting the screens this Christmas.
Kabuliwala, written in 1892, showcases the fatherly love of a middle-aged Afghan man named Rahmat for Mini, a little girl from Kolkata. Rahmat, who comes to the then capital of the British Indian empire to sell dry fruits and enter the moneylending business, bonds with one of his patron’s five-year-old daughter who reminds him of his own child back home.
While Chakraborty will essay the role of Rahmat, child artist Anumegha Kahali, famous for her role in ‘Mithai’ Bengali soap, will portray the role of Mini in the new film, also named ‘Kabuliwala’, directed by Suman Ghosh.
Bengali actors Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar will essay the roles of Mini’s parents.
The new film is set in the Kolkata of 1960s and is a heartwarming tale transcending geographical borders and cultural disparities.
“Kabuliwala is scheduled for a festive release during Christmas 2023 to bring cheers among the audiences including children during the festive season,” the producers said in a statement on Children’s Day on Tuesday.
Tapan Sinha had first brought the story to the celluloid in 1957. Bengali actor Chhabi Biswas had portrayed the role of Rahmat in the movie.
Sixty-six years later, the story is being retold in another Bengali film by Ghosh, who had earlier directed ‘Nobelchor’, a movie based on the theft of Tagore’s Nobel prize medal from Santiniketan.
Chakraborty said he will interpret the character of Rahmat in his own way.
“This ‘Kabuliwala’ has no similarities (with the earlier film),” the director had told PTI recently.
The story has inspired Hindi movies, including a 1961 movie of the same name made by Hemen Gupta with Balraj Sahni in the lead role, and ‘Bioscopewala’, a 2008 Danny Dengzongpa-starrer directed by Deb Medhekar. PTI SUS ACD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.