Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee batted for both the stage and the screen on Sunday, taking up cudgels on behalf of jatra troupes that cannot tour the suburbs because of political violence and film actors and technicians fallen on hard times.

“Even though so many cinema halls have come up in the districts, people still want to watch jatra. They are willing to stay up till late to enjoy a jatra performance, which is their only source of entertainment. But one of the main problems today is the tension in suburban areas,” said the chief minister after inaugurating a jatra festival at Phanibhushan Bidyabinod Jatra Mancha in Bagbazar.

“I’ve invited my associates and members of the opposition groups several times to sit for a discussion. I want to resolve this problem in the right manner. But if bullets are being fired instead, how can people go and watch jatra?”

Earlier, the chief minister attended a cultural programme organised by Eastern India Cinetel Welfare Trust at Madhusudan Mancha. He spent time with Soumitra Chatterjee and advocated the cause of “an alternative source of income for semi-skilled or aged technicians and artistes” before heading to the jatra festival inauguration.

At Bagbazar, Bhattacharjee was critical of “certain jatras”, probably hinting at those cashing in on the popularity of Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her slogans like “ma, mati, manush” and the ones on “paribartan”.

“I heard that villains are being glorified as heroes in jatra these days. This has been a trend in films but we have to prevent such practices from creeping into jatra. Otherwise people will lose their values and their ability to distinguish between right and wrong. No responsible writer should promote misdeeds,” he said.

He stayed back to watch Amar Adalot Raat Barotaay but stepped out before Pathor Pratima, a mystery woman fighting a corrupt system and ripping the masks off villains, took the stage.