Mamata Banerjee’s Name Painted Over at Kolkata’s Nandan Ahead of Film Festival

A plaque bearing the name of former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Nandan, Kolkata’s premier cultural and film centre, has been painted over ahead of the upcoming Kolkata International Film Festival, triggering a political controversy between the ruling BJP and the opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Another plaque bearing the name of former chief minister Jyoti Basu remains untouched, adding to the political debate surrounding the development.

The incident came on Sunday, the day the logo for the 32nd Kolkata International Film Festival was unveiled. The festival is scheduled to be held from December 16 to 23, with Ireland as the focus country.

West Bengal government’s cultural adviser and veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty responded to the controversy by questioning whether people still wanted to see Banerjee’s name.

“Does anyone want to see Mamata Banerjee’s name anymore?” he said. The remark drew a sharp response from the TMC, with party spokesperson Upasana Chowdhury alleging that an authoritarian government was in power in the state.

Nandan, a state government-sponsored cultural complex in the heart of Kolkata, is the principal venue for the annual film festival. Its foundation stone was laid in 1980 by Jyoti Basu, who was then the chief minister, and the complex was inaugurated in 1985 by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Following Banerjee’s rise to power in 2011, several plaques bearing her name were installed at different locations across the state. The painting over of the plaque at Nandan ahead of the first film festival under the BJP government has now sparked a fresh political confrontation.

Meanwhile, the newly unveiled festival logo has incorporated saffron alongside blue, white and black, the colours featured in the earlier design. The new logo was designed by filmmaker Sandip Ray, son of Satyajit Ray.

The developments have brought the cultural institution and the festival’s preparations into the political spotlight ahead of the December event.