Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty on Friday, 4 September announced a 30 per cent subsidy for film productions shooting in West Bengal, hours after the state's BJP government formally appointed him as its cultural advisor. The announcement signals an aggressive push by the new administration to revive Bengal's film industry and attract productions from across the country.

The Subsidy Announcement

Speaking to reporters following the official announcement of his new role, Chakraborty said: 'We will try to bring back whatever we have lost. We are giving 30 per cent subsidy so that we can bring everyone, the whole of India, to Bengal. We are asking people to come to Bengal and shoot here.'

Chakraborty had first floated the proposal a day earlier, during a programme marking the birth centenary of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar, where he said he had made a 'special request' for the subsidy to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had agreed to it.

Uttam Kumar Film Centre to Come Up at New Town

The subsidy announcement came alongside a separate cultural initiative. Chief Minister Adhikari laid the foundation stone of the 'Uttam Kumar Film Centre' at New Town, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, at a ceremony held earlier on Friday. The centre is to be developed at a cost of ₹25 crore, already sanctioned by the State Information and Cultural Affairs Department.

Adhikari stated that the design of the centre would be left entirely to experts from the Bengali film world, with the state government committing not to interfere in creative decisions.

Chakraborty Hits Back at Mamata Banerjee

The occasion also saw Chakraborty respond sharply to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had threatened to lead protest demonstrations outside BJP leaders' homes in New Delhi. Banerjee's remarks came in the wake of the alleged attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's party office, which she blamed on the BJP.

In a Facebook Live video, Banerjee had said: 'How long will you continue with your atrocities? If the atrocities are not stopped, I will be personally going to New Delhi and stage protest demonstrations in front of the houses of the BJP leaders there.'

Chakraborty dismissed her remarks, saying: 'Whatever she is saying, does it suit her? The atrocities that she had mentioned, does it suit her?.. We are the ones who have endured all this. I do not insult anyone by speaking too much, but all this does not look good coming from her.'

What This Means for Bengal's Film Industry

West Bengal has a storied cinematic tradition but has seen production activity migrate to other states in recent years. A 30 per cent production subsidy, if implemented effectively, could make the state competitive with established film-friendly destinations. The simultaneous development of a dedicated film centre at New Town suggests the BJP administration is framing cultural revival as a political priority in the state it wrested from the Trinamool Congress. How quickly the subsidy framework is formalised and operationalised will determine whether the announcement translates into tangible industry activity.