Award-winning films can connect with masses: Ritwick Chakraborty

Kolkata: Actor Ritwick Chakraborty, whose movie "Asha Jaoar Majhe" bagged the best debut honour at the 71st Venice Film Festival, says award-winning films have started doing well at the box office.

"That buzz can be translated into box office earnings if audiences can connect. They don't seem to have a mental block about festival winners, not the Indian audience," Ritwick said.

"There can be classification among audiences. Not all audiences are meant for all genre of films. We can't club all them together. But at the same time it is not true that a particular film can't work out for its targetted audience if it is labelled as a festival winner. That is a misnomer," he added.

Terming it as the golden phase for Bengali film industry, Ritwick said, "From 'Anubrata Bhalo Achho' to 'Asha Jaoar Majhe' there is a buzz among the international film audience about films by new directors in Bengal who are not bound by conventional thoughts. I am happy to be here at this moment," Ritwick said.

He essays the role of Anubrata, an elusive man, in Partha Sen's upcoming film, also starring Swastika Mukherjee in the role of a middle-aged school teacher, his muse.

While "Asha Jaoar Majhe" is slated to hit the screens at the end of this month, "Anubrata" will open in theatres in August.

The actor has become a favourite for middle of the road movies be it Sushmita Sen-starrer "Nirbaak", "Bheetu", "Anubrata Bhalo Achho?" to "Ebar Shabor".

"If I am getting roles in our industry now, it's perhaps because the pattern of doing films has changed. The industry first watched me and then accepted me. If you are accepted once you keep getting variegated roles," said the "Shabdo" star.