Kolkata, Sep 2026 : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday announced that veteran actor and megastar Mithun Chakraborty will serve as the cultural advisor to the state government, underlining the administration’s focus on strengthening the state’s film and cultural ecosystem.
The announcement was made during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the proposed “Uttam Kumar Film Centre” at New Town on the northern outskirts of Kolkata. The centre will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore, with the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department having already sanctioned the funds for the project.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said the responsibility for finalising the design of the proposed centre would be entrusted to experts from the Bengali film industry. He stressed that the state government would provide necessary support but would not interfere in decisions related to the creative and technical aspects of the project.
“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,” the Chief Minister said.
The proposed film centre in New Town will be modelled on the existing Nandan Cultural Centre in central Kolkata and will feature infrastructure aimed at supporting both conventional cinema and emerging areas of the entertainment industry.
The complex will be divided into three major sections. The first section will include two cinema halls with a combined seating capacity of 750, along with a preview theatre, food court and parking facilities.
The second section will house a 1,000-seat auditorium and an open-air theatre designed to host cultural programmes and other events. The third section will feature specialised laboratories and studios for animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, extended reality and film post-production.
The Chief Minister said preliminary work, including soil testing and site selection, had already been completed. The Detailed Project Report is currently being prepared, while construction agencies under the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation are expected to begin work after the monsoon season.
He directed state Information and Culture Secretary Soumitra Mohan and WBHIDCO Managing Director Bibhu Goel to coordinate with the centenary committee and finalise the design of the centre.
The Chief Minister also announced that Chakraborty, who has transitioned from a successful film career into politics, would take up the role of cultural advisor to the state government.
He further said prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry would be felicitated over the coming days, with the honours scheduled to continue until September 6.
Adhikari clarified that the state government would not interfere in the selection of personalities to be honoured. The responsibility for preparing the list, he said, would rest with a committee comprising members associated with the Bengali silver-screen industry.
“The committee of those from the silver screen industry will do that,” he said.
