Festive drop ‘Pujar Gaan’ brings Anirban Bhattacharya back in the spotlight

Acclaimed actor-musician Anirban Bhattacharya has once again lit up conversations— this time for music. His band "Hooliganism", already riding high after the viral success of "Melar Gaan", dropped a new track for Durga Puja titled "Pujar Gaan", Written by Anirban, Shubhodip, and Gopinath, the song pointedly asks why Goddess Durga remains silent amid the tide of injustice—a question that has resonated widely since its release.

Only weeks ago, another of his songs, "Tumi Masti Korbe Jani", went viral after a live concert, a cheeky satire aimed at three stalwarts of West Bengal politics. The back-to-back hits have thrust Anirban and his band into the cultural spotlight.

But while the music thrives, his acting career faces turbulence. A bitter standoff between the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) and directors has left him sidelined. The actor admitted months earlier that he had not received a single offer in recent times, and now uncertainty clouds one of his most anticipated prospects: playing Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay on screen.

Srijit Mukherji has announced "Emperor vs Sarat Chandra", a historical drama marking the centenary of Sarat Chandra's revolutionary novel "Pather Dabi." Confirmed in the cast are Tota Roy Chowdhury, Abir Chatterjee, and Sohini Sarkar. Talks were underway for Anirban to portray Sarat Chandra himself, but the director has now said his involvement remains "uncertain" due to the federation deadlock.

Producer Rana Sarkar echoed the sentiment in an interview with Indian media: "Rumours are there, and yes, we are thinking of Anirban Bhattacharya. But nothing can be finalised without the federation's approval."

The stakes are high. When "Pather Dabi" was first published on 31 August 1926, its fierce anti-colonial message rattled the British Raj so deeply that it was banned in January 1927. Mukherji says the upcoming film will capture the political turbulence of the time—the writing of the novel, its censorship, and the revolutionary spirit that surrounded it. The film is slated for a theatrical release on 1 May 2026.

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