Cinema of West Bengal, also known as Tollywood or Bengali cinema, is the segment of Indian cinema, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Bengali language widely spoken in the state of West Bengal. It is based in the Tollygunge region of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932. It was a historically important film industry, at one time the centre of Indian film production. The Bengali film industry is known for producing many of Indian cinema's most critically acclaimed global Parallel Cinema and art films, with several of its filmmakers gaining prominence at the Indian National Film Awards as well as international acclaim.
Shaheb Chatterjee or Saheb Chatterjee is a Bengali Indian male actor and singer of Tollywood Bangla and Bengali television.
Sreelekha Mitra is an Indian actress and director who is known for her work in Bengali cinema and television. Winner of a BFJA Award and an Anandalok Award, Mitra is best known for her roles in films such as Hothat Brishti (1998), Kantatar (2006), Aschorjo Prodip (2013), Swade Ahlade (2015), Choukath (2015) and Rainbow Jelly (2018).
Srijit Mukherji is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Bengali cinema. His regular collaboration with veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee brought him into the limelight. His first feature film Autograph (2010), was a critical and commercial success, where he had written the script with Chatterjee in mind. His fifth film, Jaatishwar, won four national awards at India's 61st National Film Awards (2014). He won the National Film Award for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay for his sixth film, Chotushkone, at India's 62nd National Film Awards. His eighth film, Rajkahini had been remade into a Hindi film titled, Begum Jaan, starring Vidya Balan in 2017. His 2018 release Ek Je Chhilo Raja won the 'Best Bengali Film' Award at India's 66th National Film Awards. His 2019 film Gumnaami won him the Best Bengali Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards.
Kaushik Ganguly is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor in Bengali cinema. Multiple National Film Awards winner Actor-Director, Kaushik Ganguly is known for making films that explore various aspects sexuality, like Ushnatar Janye (2003), which deals with a lesbian relationship, and Arekti Premer Golpo (2010), which examines transgender identity & Nagarkirtan (2017), an LGBTQ Movie. In 2019, Film Companion ranked Ridhi Sen's performance in Nagarkirtan which was directed by Ganguly, among 100 Greatest Performances of the decade.
Nusrat Jahan Ruhi is an Indian actress and politician who predominantly works in Bengali cinema. Beside the acting career, from 2019 to 2024, Jahan has represented as the Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Basirhat constituency as a Trinamool Congress candidate. Jahan's screen debut was in Raj Chakraborty's Shotru.
Anjana Basu is a Bengali Indian actress based in Kolkata. She started her acting career with modelling, and gradually with a serial "Robir Aloy" which aired on Alpha Bangla, she came into the limelight. The year was 2003. In 2005, she was a part of a horror film, Raat Barota Panch.
Pijush Ganguly was a noted Bengali film, television and theater actor. In 2005 he received the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Mahulbanir Sereng.
Indrasish Roy is an Indian film and television actor. He played the role of Tintin in serial Gaaner Opare. Later he played the lead role of Chandrakiran Chowdhury, the male protagonist of serial Adwitiya. He debuted in films with Kaushik Ganguly's Rang Milanti. He also won hearts by playing the role of Lalon in Star Jalsha's Dhulokona.
Yash Dasgupta is an Indian actor, television personality, producer, politician who works in Bengali and Hindi entertainment industry. Starting his career from television dramas, he made his film debut in the 2016 Bengali film Gangster. In 2023, he made his Hindi film debut in Yaariyan 2. He was listed as the most desirable man in the Calcutta Times list of Most Desirable men in 2014, 2015 and 2020.
Shiboprosad Mukherjee is an Indian film director, writer and actor. With Nandita Roy as his co-director, he made his directorial debut with the film Icche, which garnered critical acclaim and commercial success. The director duo is known for making socially relevant films. They have also directed new age Bengali films like Praktan, Bela Seshe, Muktodhara, Accident, Alik Sukh and Ramdhanu, Haami, Konntho, Gotro which were critically acclaimed and enjoyed commercial success. He also serves as a partner at Windows Production. His film Praktan, bagged multiple National Awards and Alik Sukh was premiered at the Marche du Film section in Cannes Film Festival in 2013. His film Konttho was selected as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards but did not final Submission from India.
Anirban Bhattacharya is an Indian actor, theatre actor, singer and director. Bhattyacharya won ABP Ananda Sera Bangali Award in 2022. In 2017, Bhattyacharya won WBFJA Awards for Best Promising Actor of The Year.
Solanki Roy is an Indian actress who primarily works in Bengali television ,web series and Bengali Cinema . She is popularly known for her roles of Meghla Sen in Ichche Nodee, titular role of Dr. Kadambini Ganguly in Prothoma Kadambini and Khori Singha Roy in Gaatchora. She made her Bengali film debut with Baba Baby O (2022). For her second film Shohorer Ushnotomo Din E (2023), she was nominated in Filmfare Award Bangla for Best Actress.
Borunbabur Bondhu is a 2019 Bengali-language Indian drama film directed by Anik Dutta for Surinder Films. The film is based on a Bengali story Chhad written by Ramapada Chowdhury. It is the story of an old man, whose life faces an upheaval after people come to know that a VVIP who was once his friend, is coming for a visit. The film stars Soumitra Chatterjee in the role of an elderly man with supporting cast of Madhabi Mukhopadhyay, Paran Bandopadhyay, Ritwick Chakraborty, Arpita Chatterjee, Sreelekha Mitra, Kaushik Sen and Bidipta Chakraborty.
Sayak Chakraborty is a Bengali actor and YouTuber who works in Bengali cinema. He is known for his portrayal as Krishna in the TV serial Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanya, a mythological show, and Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni a historical drama show which airs on Zee Bangla. He has also appeared in Belashuru, a family drama film directed by Nandita Roy, presently working in TV serial Chirosakha for Star Jalsha as Fidel (Vlogger)
Malobika Sen is a Bengali classical dancer, singer and actress from India.
Badshah Moitra is an Indian actor, who primarily works in Bengali TV soap operas and films.
Shree Krishna Bhakto Meera is a 2021 Indian Bengali mythological drama television series that premiered on 26 July 2021 on Star Jalsha. It is also available on the digital platform Disney+ Hotstar before its telecast. It is produced by Nispal Singh and Surinder Singh under the banner of Surinder Films and stars Joey Debroy, Debadrita Basu, Arshiya Mukherjee, Ankit Mazumder and Prarabdhi Singha in lead roles.
Blues Productions is an Indian Bengali-language television serial and film production company based in Kolkata, incorporated on 2006. Blues Productions Pvt Ltd has 2 creative directors/key management personnel - Snehasish Chakraborty and Debasish Chakraborty. >Sound engineer JEBARAJ Y
Sani Ghose Ray is an Indian Film director and producer based out of Kolkata. He is also one of the founder members of the production house Acropoliis Entertainment along with a line production company Greyscale Entertainment.
