Mahesh Bhatt, Madhur Bhandarkar go 'fidaa' over gorgeous Rukmini Maitra's award-worthy performance in masterpiece biopic-in-and-as- 'Binodini'-- which has created unique history! by Chaitanya Padukone

The Pan-India Bengali epic-biographical film "Binodiini- Ekti Natir Upakhyan, (with English sub-titles) with the stunningly beautiful tall, slim, dimpled star-actress Rukmini Maitra, playing the title role, has grabbed the attention of preview audiences including top celebs in the Bollywood film industry. Everyone who has watched Binodiini directed by National Award Winning creative maverick Ram Kumar Mukherjee, seems to have been mesmerized! By the spectacular visual 'period' grandeur, the sentimental connect, mesmerizing songs and dances, powerful performances, directorial panache, and a compelling story-line.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashok Dhamankar (@dhamankarashok)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ram Kamal Mukherjee (@ramkamalmukherjee)

Undoubtedly, both the meticulously shot, authentic masterpiece biopic ‘Binodini’ and brilliant, charismatic star-actress Rukmini and other co-actors are strong potential contenders for next year’s  National Film Awards as well as the Filmfare  (East) and the BFJA  Awards!

The special preview of the film in the heart of the Bollywood capital city, Mumbai held recently at Sunny Super Sound, Juhu was a stupendous success, receiving rave reviews from top filmy celebrities & critics present there.

Legendary director Mahesh Bhatt seemed delighted as he seemed enamored by the wide-range of Rukmini Maitra's sterling award-worthy performance as Binodini Dasi. Even by her graceful dances in the melodious classical-dance song 'Kaanha'  and then convincingly swaying to the song ‘Hari Mon Mojaye’ in the screen-avataar of male--'Godman' Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in director Ram Kamal Mukherjee's magnum opus Binodini-- Ekti Natir Upakhyan. The discerning Bhatt-saab appreciated the fact that versatile Rukmini could pull off the range of 17 to 70 on screen convincingly.

Multiple National Award-winning Madhur Bhandarkar posted on his social media profile " Watched the beautiful film Binodiini -Ekti Natir Upakhyan directed by brilliant filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee. The storytelling is compelling and the visuals are absolutely stunning. Rukmini as Binodini Dasi breathes life into the legendary character with such grace and authenticity. She is truly captivating on screen. Congratulations to the entire Team”!

Other celebrities present for the preview-screening included Esha Deol, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Rahul Bose, director Shoojit Sircar, Sudhanshu Pandey, Karan Veer Mehra amongst others.

The film Binodini’s narrative also sheds light on important social issues, such as gender equality and woman empowerment, making it a socially relevant even today and emerges a poignant and thought-provoking cinema-theatre watch.

After winning the hearts of millions of Bengalis, the elite Pan-India musical bio-pic film, Binodiini --Ekti Natir Upakhyan, also starring famous actor Kaushik Ganguly will have its grand release in Mumbai ---with English sub-titles on this Friday, Jan 31, 2025. 

At the media-conference in Mumbai, Rukmini Maitra, the charming superstar of Bengali Cinema, director Ram Kamal Mukherjee and versatile actor Chandan Roy Sanyal graced the occasion for a candid news-media interaction.

Rukmini Maitra had won the hearts of the audience with her outstanding performance at the special screening for Bollywood celebrities, directors and critics held the earlier night at Sunny Super Sound, Juhu.

Many from the news-media even compared Ram Kamal Mukherjee as Bengal's Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but then Ram has shot Binodiini  on a much smaller mini-budget, as compared to the mega-cinema-maestro SLB !

Justifies the outspoken Ram Kamal "Am making Hindi film since Cakewalk and in future also I will make Hindi films . But Binodiini is such a phenomenal regional subject of the first Bengali female theatre-drama-superstar which deserved a Bengali language,  a Bengali backdrop and even a Bengali lead cast and a Bengali director ( that’s me) . If I would make it in Hindi we wouldn’t have possible  done justice to the  bio-pic subject and film, language and the entire ethnic period Bengali culture-centric content,

While in Mumbai, Rukmini Maitra enthralled the Bollywood news-media at the press-conference, with her anecdotes on the journey of the film ! On how she breathed the title role of a lifetime, the parallel journey as an artiste in the male dominated industry, the struggle, tribulations and the ultimate emancipation & empowerment at the end.

The news-media seemed stunned when they saw the trailer of the film and at the virtual transformation of Chandan Roy Sanyal, who reprises the role of  divine iconic Godman Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa. The versatility of Chandan Roy Sanyal is simply outstanding. Even surprise guest star-singer Shaan was highly impressed when he interacted with the 'Binodini' cast

Chandan Roy Sanyal said "Film medium is a director’s medium, its always easy for a director to imagine one actor in a particular character and for that actor it is easy to carry the vision of the director. But when Ram Kamal met me at the coffee shop for approaching me to play legendary Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa my first reaction was you must be kidding me! How could a director imagine me playing the role! But as I always believe that it’s kind of divine intervention as during that time I was going through personal loss and was into a different zone. I would really thank to my director Ram Kamal Mukherjee, my producers Prateek Chakravorty and Dev ( Deepak) Adhikari for giving this lifetime role to play"

Shares sentimental Rukmini 'Playing Binodini is my dream-come-true. It’s one such phenomenal title-role character which has taken a part of my soul along with her. In every heroine’s life there is one kind of screen-character which stays always within them. This film is one of that kind of film. From 141 years Binodini and her legacy has been fighting for justice. Finally with this film world cinematic history has been created !! Upon our humble request, Hon’ble CM of West Bengal Smt Mamata Banerjee has changed the name of historic Star Theatre ( in Kolkata) to Binodini Theatre. Finally, Binodini Das’s soul would  feel relieved to get the overdue justice"

Tall. slim winsome Bengali star-actress-super-model Rukmini (with that royal aura) who speaks Hindi fluently,  has been officially honoured with the Mahanayak Samman Award 2024 by West Bengal Govt. and has won many more Awards  Incidentally, she made her Bollywood acting debut in leading producer Vipul Shah’s Hindi action-thriller movie Sanak  (2021) opposite Vidyut Jamwal.

Read also:

• Sunita Ahuja's revelation- 'Fear of Govinda's affair, on men...'
  
• Karan Johar announced Ibrahim Ali Khan's Bollywood debut
• Actress Shikha Pandey Shares Her Journey on 'Ghum  Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein'
• Shahid Kapoor reacted when Deva was compared to the film Kabir Singh