Bengal beckons: Priyanshu Chatterjee

After an extensive hunt in Bollywood, director Raja Mukherjee has picked Jeet as his main man for his debut film Bidhatar Khela. The pivotal role of the villain has gone to Priyanshu Chatterjee, the actor with chiselled features who has made a name with films like Tum Bin and Pinjar.

?For a new maker, it?s essential to pull the audiences to the theatres first. So I wanted to go for a known face. Jeet is quite happening in Tollywood and has been accepted by the audience in Bengal. Besides, he suits my character,? says Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee?s elder brother.

?Priyanshu will be seen in a negative role for the first time. The other reason I took him was that he speaks very good Bengali. I hate the concept of working with actors who don?t know the language the film is being made in? I feel the combination of Bollywood and Tollywood will have an impact on the film,? adds Raja, planning to go on the floors sometime in end-August or early September.

The Calcutta cast for the ?romantic thriller? also includes Roopa Ganguly, Arjun Chakraborty, Locket Chatterjee, Dulal Lahiri and Bodhisattwa Majumdar.

The first-time director, who dabbled with TV serials before moving to the big screen, plans to launch a fresh face as his leading lady, the search for which is still on in full swing.

Lalit of the Jatin-Lalit musician team is composing the music for Bidhatar Khela.