A poster of the film

Who?s the biggest beneficiary of the Election Commission (EC) ban on poll graffiti? Mithunda, aka MLA Fatakeshto, of course. After all, if you go by the writing on the wall, Mithun Chakraborty is the only poll candidate in town.

As Bengal goes to the polls, the sole political wall-writing spared the EC whitewash is the ?Vote for MLA Fatakeshto? screamer in red and white, complete with a symbol resembling the Swastika and Mithun playing the neta with folded hands and a smug smile.

MLA Fatakeshto?s big day is April 14, three days before the first phase of Assembly elections. If the timing of the Swapan Saha-directed film?s release was a smart marketing move, the EC?s clampdown on pre-poll graffiti has turned the pre-release publicity into a high-visibility blitz.

?Is Mithun standing for elections? From which party?? are some of the calls reaching the film?s producers. ?Many people who are not able to read the film?s name at the bottom are thinking that Mithun is actually contesting the elections,? smiles Shrikant Mohta of Shree Venkatesh Films that has plastered the town with posters.

?Really? This is a very interesting situation,? laughs Mithun, when contacted in Mumbai. ?The film has a political tinge but whether it will be a hit or not ultimately depends on how good a film it is.?

Inspired by Anil Kapoor?s Nayak, the film traces the sudden rise of a local rowdy to Bengal?s red building of power. With MLA Fatakeshto riding high on the poll wave, producers Shree Venkatesh Films are releasing 61 prints of the film across Bengal ? a Tollywood record. ?The timing and the lone ?political posters? on the walls have given us a lot of extra mileage and created a buzz among hall-owners and viewers,? says Mohta.