Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 5, 2020)

Practitioners of black magic, gold diggers, manipulative — these are some of the terms being used to generalise women from the Bengali community. All this, after Sushant Singh Rajput’s family lodged an FIR against his girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty. Following this, people on social media began to allege that Rhea practised black magic and pushed him to take his life.

“I was very angry at such statements. Because of Rhea, Bengali women are getting trolled. One girl is an alleged gold digger; we don’t even know the case. We don’t even know this girl’s story. How is it fair to blame all of us?” actor Koena Mitra asks.

Slamming the whole “Bengali women witch hunting” talk, actor Tanushree Dutta says, “This has been started by the self proclaimed men’s activist Barkha Trehan. She is an a** licker to morally bankrupt men and now she is maligning Bengali women. We are sexy, smart, classy, massy and awesome.”

Responding to how Bengali women “catch a big fish”, actor Swastika Mukherjee recently wrote, “Yes I prefer Rui or Bhetki, then fry it in mustard oil and finish it off with steaming rice with some green/red chillies.”

Actor Sayantani Ghosh feels it’s sad to see people succumb to the idea of such templates. “It shows how shallow, we as a race, have become. The funny part is that it’s the educated lot who believe such things. I did a reality show and an actor, a friend of mine, told me back then that I was performing well because I did black magic. Why is it difficult to accept that a person can be talented as well,” Ghosh says.

Actor Bidita Bag says, “Just because one Bengali woman has done something wrong and it hasn’t been proven as well, it does not mean you can label the entire Bengali community.”

Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, author and columnist, blames Bollywood and popular culture for misrepresenting Bengali women. “It is extremely clichéd and linear. Kaala jaadu is prevalent in all parts of India. The shaming of Bengali women is deplorable and how is this helping the (Rajput death) case? Why can’t we let justice take its own course, rather than go into the whataboutery. When you allow sexism and communalism, it is a dangerous cocktail of the worst kind of bigotry” she opines.

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 3, 2020)

Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has stirred up a number of conversations surrounding nepotism and favouritism in the film industry. Actor Swastika Mukherjee is hopeful that things will change now, but she feels that some people are going overboard and have forgotten about Rajput’s grieving family.

“Right now, the situation is such that one runs the risk of being misinterpreted. But I’m still trying to understand, where are these paranormal conversations, assumptions and presumptions coming from?” she says.

Insisting that nepotism exists in every industry, Mukherjee, 39, asks, “Why does the hammer always fall on the entertainment industry? Why is our profession looked at from a different perspective, especially female actors. Questions are being raised about our character and how we lead our lives.”

While celebrities are often expected to have an opinion on everything being debated upon, Mukherjee believes that right now, everyone wants to share their views but it’s to settle their personal score. “I don’t like agenda-driven conversations. Why do I want to sell my points of view based on somebody’s demise?” asks the actor, adding that much like others, she also thought the news of Rajput’s death was fake.

She sounds disturbed as she shares, “After I got the news, I switched off my phone. It was difficult. I lost my father (actor Santu Mukherjee) in March and then Sushant. I was confused about what’s hurting me more. Memories of shooting Dil Bechara with Sushant and my father being excited about the film came rushing back. And now, both of them aren’t here when the film has actually released.”
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‘SUSHANT HAD BIPOLAR DISORDER’
Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s therapist, Susan Moffat Walker, broke her silence on the actor’s condition and in a statement to Mojo Story , she said, “Sushant was suffering from bipolar disorder and had bouts of depression and hypomania. Rhea was his strongest support…” Reacting to Walker’s statement, while Rajput’s sister Shweta Singh Kirti tweeted, “It is outright illegal”, her husband Vishal Kirti, too, wrote a long blog post. “...Mental health information is protected by the law of the land. Disclosing this information is not only unethical but also illegal...” He questioned Walker’s diagnosis of Rajput’s condition and the part of her statement where she says that his treatment was sought by Rhea Chakraborty (girlfriend) and not Rajput himself.

Actors who have worked in other film industries say it can be tough
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 27, 2020)

In a recent interview with HT, actor Taapsee Pannu opened up about her experience when she transitioned from the South films to Bollywood in 2013, and said she was treated like a newcomer and a struggler in Hindi films.

While the debate about insiders vs outsiders in Bollywood keeps raging on, Pannu’s statement added a different perspective to it. While many have spoken up about the hurdles people from non-film background face in Bollywood, what happens to actors who switch to Hindi films after being successful names in regional cinema?

Tamannaah Bhatia, who has starred in Tamil and Telugu films before shifting base to Mumbai, feel there should be no demarcations. “There’s always resistance initially but if you position yourself correctly, the transition can be smooth,” she says.

A popular face in Bengali films, actor Swastika Mukherjee feels prejudices exist mostly when it comes to actors who come from east. “People behave as if we don’t exist. We aren’t recognised, even if we’ve received National Awards. I’ve been to several auditions and this has been the general reaction,” says the Dil Bechara actor.

Many regional actors feel that one shouldn’t rely on their star status and expect the same treatment elsewhere. Sharing her transition story, actor Rakul Preet Singh had told us, “Your stardom matters to you only if you take it in a wrong way in your head. I don’t know Bhojpuri or Bengali actors, so I can’t expect people in Bollywood to know me.”

Language is another factor that regional actors feel becomes a hurdle for them in Hindi films. For Malayalam actor Tony Luke, who made his Bollywood debut with Badla (2019), the real challenge was mastering the Hindi language. “It’s a lot better now than it was 10 years back, to work in Mumbai. All these ongoing discussions and debates are for the good because it’s going to change the industry in a positive way,” points out Luke.

Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan says, “When you come from the Hindi belt, there’s a bit of attitude change, but I’ve done films in several languages in the country. I’m proud that I brought the Bhojpuri film industry to the forefront,” says the actor-politician.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; November 11, 2014)


Recently she was in the news for shoplifting in Singapore. However, the Bong girl said that she was only indulging in a spot of method acting. She said that she was practising to be a spy by stealing jewellery in a Singapore shop.

But not everyone is ready to believe that. An actress who has worked with Sushant rubbishes this claim as “utter hogwash”. “What is being suggested here? That she needs to steal to prove herself a spy? What would she do if she had to play a rape victim?” she asks.

A Bengali co-star of hers thinks Swastika “planned and orchestrated” the shoplifting scandal in Singapore to coincide with her debut in Bollywood. “She is very clear in her head that she wants to be the the next Sharmila Tagore and Bipasha Basu combined. She realised Detective Byomkesh was Sushant’s film through and through. She wanted her own portion of attention. She got it when the swiped earrings made news all across India,” she says.

A senior Bengali actress who was herself quite notorious in her times quips, “Forget shoplifting, Swastika would lift the entire shop to get attention.”

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; November 4, 2014)

Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee, who allegedly attempted suicide in May this year following a fight with her beau, finds herself in the midst of a controversy. She is accused of shoplifting at a boutique in Singapore where she was attending a film festival along with her filmmaker-boyfriend, Suman Mukherjee.

If sources are to be believed, she lifted earrings worth US$ 225 and the boutique owner, Apsara Oswal wrote to the Darpan Film Festival authorities suggesting CCTV footage in her shop had captured the theft. A single mother, Swastika is all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.

Arindam Sil, executive producer of Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani who was also part of the film festival, said he has seen the footage. “The boutique owner is my friend. She informed the festival organisers about the incident and sent us the evidence. The CCTV footage shows her purchasing an expensive neckpiece and then going back to the display shelves. She tried the earrings, took the pair in her left hand and shoved the empty box behind another box. No police complaint has been lodged against Swastika. She fled from her hotel on Monday morning along with her boyfriend,” said Arindam.

Swastika is believed to have told Sreyashi Sen, the founder and chairperson of Darpan Film Festival, that she is innocent but would pay for the ‘missing’ earrings as she doesn’t want to be embroiled in any controversy.

When we contacted Sen, she feigned ignorance about the matter. “I have no comments on this and I request the media not to contact me for this,” she said.

While Apsara could not be reached, an employee at her boutique said, “I was not at work on the day of the incident but I know about it. We didn’t know she was an actress.” Despite repeated attempts, Swastika did not respond to our calls or text messages.

Harshada Rege (DNA; October 27, 2014)


The actor shares a long kissing scene with co-star Swastika Mukherjee. An insider reveals that it runs into several minutes and is the longest smooch scene on the Hindi film screen.

He was unaware
What’s surprising is that Sushant was unaware of the scene before it was shot. Before the shot, Dibakar had vaguely told Sushant that the scene required a peck on his lips. On the other hand he had briefed Swastika at length about the scene because he was keen to capture Sushant’s shocked expression without any rehearsals.

Dibakar confirms, “The scene was more than the kiss. It was about deception, intrigue and murder and I needed that something extra... that element of surprise that throws everyone off. But we had over-rehearsed it. The takes ended up being just like the rehearsals... there was no surprise! After six takes, eight takes, it was still the same. I was worried and then it struck me. I took Swastika aside and told her, ‘Kiss him before he can say anything — and we won’t tell him. Throw him off-guard’.”

The director further adds, “Sushant is a highly prepared actor. He does NOT like surprises sprung at him. We started shooting the scene as rehearsed, and then she did it. Kissed him on the lips, no holding back. The set froze, Sushant froze and then he recovered. The scene after that was highly electric because both of them were now watching each other warily not knowing what the other would do, and that mistrust, suspicion and tension worked.”

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; May 26, 2014)

Leading Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee, who stars opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, was admitted to Apollo Hospital on Saturday morning.

It is being said that the actress suffered a wrist and forearm injury. Dr Kaushik Nandy, one of the leading plastic surgeons in Kolkata, operated on her. Speaking to hitlist, Dr Nandy said, “She came to the hospital with shards of glass lodged in her forearm and wrist. We have now removed the same and she stable now.’’ However, he didn’t reveal whether it was a case of accidental or self- inflicted injury.

Rumour mills, on the other hand, say that the actress attempted suicide after a with her filmmaker boyfriend.
But her sister, Ajopa Mukherjee, rubbishes such talk. “She was hurt due to accident that happened at friend’s place in the morning. met her and all these rumours are false,” she says.

Swastika has starred popular Bengali films such Mishawr Rawhoshyo, Jaatishwar, Take One and Brake Fail.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; May 13, 2014)

Sushant Singh Rajput’s leading lady in Detective Byomkesh is being kept under wraps. That’s the way Yash Raj Films likes to keep their projects. However, one learns from a source working on the film that he is paired with Swastika Mukherjee in this period film.

Swastika is best known to create quite a hungama in the Kolkata media — both through her bold role (in a Bangla film titled Take One about an MMS scandal) and her bindaas statements. The never-say-no actress had many steamy scenes with her co-star.

Apparently, director Dibakar Banerjee and Yash Raj Films want to keep Swastika’s no-holds-barred image in check. Says the source, “Out there in Bengal, Swastika has a very bold image. In Dibakar’s film, Swastika plays a traditional Bengali housewife.” The effort, we hear, is to repackage Swastika’s image for her Hindi debut as “more of Sharmila and less of Bipasha.” Sushant is living in with his girlfriend Ankita Lokhande, with whom he is rumoured to be married, and with this film he gets an onscreen wife as well.

Zinia Sen & Ruman Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; April 19, 2014)

Jaatishwar, a film on rebirth, which had a golden run at the 61st National Film Awards, is in the eye of a storm. The producers of the movie that went on to win four National awards in the categories of Best Music Direction, Best Make-up Artist, Best Costume Design and Best Male Playback Singer, are yet to clear the dues of four of its key cast and crew members.

Among them is the Best Music Direction awardee Kabir Suman. The Bengali composer who was signed on for 5 lakh, is yet to get his dues worth 1.5 lakh. In fact, Suman had last spoken to co-producer Rana Sarkar from DAG Creative Media on Wednesday, when the National Awards were announced. “After he broke the news to me, I asked him to clear my dues. He didn’t give me a clear answer and hung up soon after. At this age, why should I go around asking people for money? When I was given an advance of 50,000 and asked to start work on the project, I didn’t dither. If there’s a deadline for work, there should be one for remuneration too,” says a miffed Suman.

The singer-songwriter has also spoken to the film’s director, Srijit Mukherji. “After the advance payment, I was only given money in small amounts. I spoke to Srijit before he left for the US. He was extremely apologetic and wanted to pay from his own pocket. But that was not fine with me. I said, ‘Why should you give me money?’ Even after scripting a success story, the producers are yet to pay up. But when they bring out the film’s DVD, I’m sure they will have ‘Four National awards’ printed on it. This isn’t professional behaviour,” he says.

Jaatishwar’s leading lady, Swastika Mukherjee, who is yet to receive near about 2 lakh for the movie, says, “I was promised the rest of my remuneration on the day of the dubbing, but I still haven’t received it.” Rahul, another actor in the film, says, “I’m yet to be paid 1 lakh.”

J K Ray from Reliance Entertainment, which has produced the film, clarifies, “From my side, I have cleared all the dues. My only contract was with Srijit and I have followed it to the letter. The only artistes left to be paid are Swastika Mukherjee, Jisshu Sengupta and Rahul. Their contracts were with Rana Sarkar. As far as Kabir Suman is concerned, I’m aware that he is yet to get his full payment. That part is being handled completely by Srijit. Once he returns, Suman’s dues will be cleared. I think Rana is cash-strapped at the moment and the delays are because of that. I think all payments will be made in May.” Rana Sarkar, who’s the focus of all attention, was not available for comment.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 29, 2014)

Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee, who stars in the upcoming Bollywood film, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, has taken up a crash course in Hindi grammar. Though the actress – who successfully auditioned for her part opposite Sushant Singh Rajput – can understand Hindi, she admits that her Hindi speaking skills need to be polished. “I can understand and can speak the language, but when it comes to gender, I tend to get it all mixed up,” admits the actress.

Set in Calcutta of the time when it was caught in the throes of World War II (1939- 1945), this period saga is currently being shot in the City of Joy, followed by a schedule in Mumbai next month. The film is based on evergreen sleuth Byomkesh Bakshi, a popular fictional character in Bengali literature created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyaya.

Interestingly, this is not Swastika’s first brush with Bollywood. She starred in the 2010 film, Mumbai Cutting, which had 11 short films directed by 11 directors including names such as Anurag Kashyap, Sudhir Mishra and Rahul Dholakhia. She appeared in the segment directed by the late filmmaker, Rituparno Ghosh.
She points out that she’s not playing the role of Satyabati (Byomkesh Bakshi’s wife). “I am not playing Sushant’s wife in the film. I can’t reveal more than this about my role,” she says.