Kolkata, October 2026: Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has been appointed as an advisor to the West Bengal government's Information and Cultural Affairs Department, with the status equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister. The appointment was announced through an official government notification issued on Wednesday.
The appointment takes immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders. The notification said Chakraborty was appointed by order of the Governor with the approval of the competent authorities.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who currently holds charge of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, had indicated the appointment last month while addressing a programme marking the birth centenary of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar.
However, the notification does not specify the precise responsibilities that Chakraborty will undertake in his new advisory role. Reports said details of his role are expected to be clarified in the coming days.
Chakraborty, one of the most prominent figures in Bengali and Hindi cinema, entered active politics after serving as a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Trinamool Congress in 2014 but resigned from the Upper House in 2016. He later joined the BJP in 2021 and became an active campaigner for the party in West Bengal.
Since joining the BJP, Chakraborty has campaigned extensively for the party during elections and has remained involved in various political and cultural programmes in the state. He was also associated with events related to Uttam Kumar's centenary celebrations, where the state government had highlighted his contribution to Bengali cinema and his longstanding connection with Bengal.
The new appointment gives Chakraborty a formal position within the state government's cultural administration and comes at a time when West Bengal is pursuing initiatives to strengthen its film and cultural infrastructure.
While the exact scope of his responsibilities is yet to be detailed, his appointment is expected to bring his experience in the Bengali film industry into the government's Information and Cultural Affairs framework.
