It was a hat-trick for actress Sudipta Chakraborty at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival as three of her films were screened in the Bengali Panorama section— Haloom, Barobabu and Porshi. Porshi was also awarded the prestigious Best Film title, with the team taking home the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger award in this category. “Having three films featured in any international festival is a matter of enormous joy and pride. I owe it all to my directors and the incredible teams behind these projects. Chandrasish (Ray), despite being a young filmmaker with only two films to his credit, has a remarkable finesse. It’s been four years since he aimed to release this film (Porshi), but with this accolade, I hope it paves the way for its release at the theatres, finally,” Sudipta shared.

In Reshmi Sen’s film Barobabu (The Father of Indian Theatre), based on the life of theatre icon Shishir Kumar Bhaduri, Sudipta portrayed the role of Prabha Debi, a gifted actress who was an important part of Bhaduri's life. “I relished playing Prabha because it allowed me to delve into a period setting. I focused on embodying the character’s body language, diction, and even little nuances like chewing paan. Working alongside Neel (Sujan Mukhopadhyay) as a co-actor also enriched my portrayal,” she noted. This film was also selected for a screening at the International Film Festival of India in Goa on November 24.

In Raja Chanda’s Haloom, which draws inspiration from Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s Baghu Mannar Barat, Sudipta took on a challenging negative role. “My character was a blend of personal struggles and societal commentary. My father once did a play (Baghu Manna) inspired by this story, and I had a different role in it. Nandita Roy Chowdhury portrayed my character in that play, and as I read the script, I remembered how Nandita pishi portrayed the role. Raja crafted the role so skillfully that it made things easier for me. Even though I wasn’t the heroine, my character served as a crucial thread in the narrative. I had limited scenes, but they were well-written,” she shared about playing Leelamoyee.

Reflecting on her character Shiuli in Porshi, Sudipta described her as “a naive, soft woman from a lower-middle-class family trying to juggle her responsibilities while nurturing aspirations for herself and her children... she is soft but strong inside." She finds herself a job, but encounters the all-too-familiar struggle with a boss who tries to exploit her. Despite needing the employment, she stands firm on her integrity. "What unites these three diverse roles, despite belonging to different social positions, is their strength in facing challenges without compromising their principles. It’s a pleasure for any actor to embody such a vast array of characters, featured in one festival,” Sudipta said.

Last year, two of Sudipta's films were screened at KIFF. Her film, The Scavenger of Dreams, directed by Suman Ghosh, had a screening at Busan (BIFF). Talking about festival screenings, she shared: “Festival screenings give an opportunity to interact with the international diaspora. Nonetheless, I eagerly anticipate theatre releases because it brings me immense joy to see people come out, purchase tickets to watch the film, and then share their genuine reactions." Reflecting on her memories of KIFF, Sudipta reminisced, “I have countless memories from KIFF — getting passes and delegate cards, standing in line, sitting on the stairs of Rabindra Sadan while watching films. I would always have a list of international films to decide what to catch. KIFF has always been a delight for me.”