August 15, 2026 03:42 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Ajit Doval breaks silence on Operation Sindoor in Discovery’s explosive new docuseries | Rahul Gandhi's 'mock hug' taunt sparks row; Centre stresses 'mutual respect' with Italy | Delhi on high alert: Bomb threat to High Court, airport and multiple locations ahead of I-Day | ‘Who are they to interfere?’: CJI Surya Kant slams Bar Council of India over NALSAR students’ enrolment row | 'Shows how low Congress has sunk': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Modi foreign policy jibe | From guns to glamour: Former women Maoists walk the ramp in Chhattisgarh | Netaji row: Suvendu Adhikari govt strips BJP MP Anant Maharaj of state honour | Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihang Sikh with kirpan at Maharashtra gurdwara; assailant detained | ‘If you cannot do it, we will pass an order’: Supreme Court’s final warning to Centre on food labels | ‘Time to move on’: Bombay HC sends strong message in Vijay Mallya-bank dispute

Christopher "Mir" Columbus now sets foot in 2016 Kolkata

| | Aug 09, 2016, at 10:41 pm
Kolkata, Aug 09 (IBNS) Over 500 years after his voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in the late 15th century and expedition to other continents, Christopher Columbus now sets his eyes on Kolkata circa 2016 to find out the elusive touchstone of happiness, albeit in a social satire in Bengali.

Titled 'Colkata-e Columbus', (Columbus in Kolkata), the film is a satirical comedy with element of fantasy where the ageless adventurer to new continents comes across depressed and stress-driven urbanites travelling from another time zone and another continent.

"Columbus is a metaphor in a sense. He is a manifestation of our search for the elusive goal among all individuals, Columbus exists within us. He holds a mirror to us," popular RJ-actor-anchor Mir Afsal Ali told IBNS on location shoot of the film wearing the 15th century sailor's trademark fatigue replete with the hat and 'Columbus jhola'.

Mir enacts the role of Columbus in the film to whom two stress-driven young professionals of Kolkata look up to as their hero for giving their life a direction and purpose.

"I play an IT professional Sam Ray, a.k.a Balahari Roy, in the film who is financially solvent but has no break from the 9-to-5 job in office and feels frustrated and stuck with the job.

"He is helped by Columbus who suddenly pops up in his life. Sam can realise his fantasies afterwards. How, that should remain a mystery," Gourab Chakroborty, who had earned critical acclaim in Kaushik Ganguly's IFFI-honored Apur Panchali two years back, said.  

Director Sourabh Paolodhi said, "Colkata-e Columbus is a political satire, a family film, a story of friendship, a story of achievement and unfulfilled desire. A film of many layers."
"There is punning in the way the name of Kolkata has been spelt in conformity  with the name of Columbus in the title. We have tried to be a bit wacky in the film.

"In the present age you can't entirely recreate the look of 15th century. The present social scenario is different and the social structure also remains poles apart from that age. In my film I took troubles to ensure Columbus acts as the cross between two times," he said.

Popular Bengali actor Tanusree Chakroborty is among other important members of the cast.

Produced by Mojo Productions and Sony Aath, the film is slated to be released by the year-end. 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.