The Bengali film industry continues to mourn the untimely demise of Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, a versatile actor and a pillar of support for independent cinema. In a poignant gesture of gratitude and grief, Director Subhrajyoti (Bappa) has announced that their final collaboration, originally titled Negative, has been renamed Chobiwala and will be released entirely free of charge to the public.

For Bappa, this film is more than a creative project; it is a debt of honor. Recalling his debut film, Sohorer Upokotha, Bappa shared that Rahul Da personally championed him as a newcomer with no industry connections.

“He didn’t just teach me the craft; he taught me to believe in myself. Renaming the film Chobiwala is our way of immortalizing the artist who lives on through his frames”, said the director.

The film tells the story of a dedicated artist struggling for recognition—a recognition that, tragically and ironically, only arrives after his death. A haunting coincidence further intensifies the emotional weight of the project: the film’s final scene depicts the protagonist’s death by drowning. This mirror to reality has left the crew deeply shaken, making the release a deeply personal mission rather than a commercial venture.

The cast of the film consists of Rahul Banerjee, Debleena Dutta, Sreelekha Mitra, Shantanu Nath, Rana Basu Thakur, Rimi Deb, Aradhana Jana, and others.

The producers have explicitly stated that there is no profit motive behind this release. They are currently appealing to cinema hall owners and distributors across Bengal to collaborate in screening the film for free, allowing fans to pay their last respects through the silver screen.

The emotional landscape of Chobiwala is heightened by a soulful soundtrack composed by Soumyarit.

• Rupam Islam lends his voice to a track that serves as a direct tribute to Rahul.
• The film also features powerful vocal performances by Somlata Acharyya and Jojo Mukherjee.

Despite the challenges of a limited budget and independent production, the team stands united. Chobiwala is not just a film; it is a final, unfinished dream of an artist who was a lighthouse for new talent. As Bappa puts it, “Rahul Da will remain in every frame, and in our hearts, forever”.

Priyanka Dutta