Srabanti Chatterjee has spent nearly three decades in the Bengali entertainment industry, evolving from a child actor into one of the familiar faces of mainstream Bengali cinema. As she prepares to complete 30 years in the industry next year, the actor is now taking on a distinctly different challenge with her latest OTT project, Thakurmar Jhuli.
Directed by Ayan Chakraborti, the series features Srabanti in a dual role of sorts, as she portrays an older grandmother as well as a detective. The transformation required her to alter her appearance and gain weight, but the change also exposed her to a fresh wave of online criticism.
Srabanti, who has previously faced trolling and body-shaming on social media, says she generally prefers not to engage with such comments. This time, however, she decided to take action after allegedly morphed and AI-generated content involving her began circulating online.
Srabanti Chatterjee asks why she should leave social media
The actor recently approached the cybercrime division of Kolkata Police over alleged body-shaming and manipulated content. She explained that her decision was influenced partly by her family, who are also active on social media.
“My parents are also on social media. I’ve been trolled multiple times and it’s best to ignore it. But this time, morphed and AI-generated videos were being circulated. My parents urged me to take action.”
While Srabanti said she has generally tried to ignore trolls, she does not believe that leaving social media is the appropriate response to online abuse.
The actor questioned why she should give up a platform that remains important both personally and professionally because of people whose opinions have no bearing on her life.
“Why should I quit social media because of people who hold no value in my life?”
She pointed out that her genuine followers use the platform to keep up with her life and career, while she also relies on social media to promote films and fulfil brand collaborations.
‘Are they perfect?’ Srabanti questions online trolls
Srabanti also questioned the mindset behind persistent online trolling.
According to the actor, social media users who target celebrities with personal remarks may not always consider the impact of their comments. She wondered whether those who criticise others so aggressively ever examine their own behaviour.
Her comments come at a time when AI-generated and digitally manipulated content has become an increasing concern for public figures. For celebrities, the problem can extend beyond ordinary criticism when edited or fabricated material is presented in misleading ways.
Srabanti’s response, therefore, is not simply about refusing to read negative comments. She has drawn a distinction between ignoring routine trolling and taking action when manipulated content crosses what she considers a more serious boundary.
Why Srabanti gained weight for Thakurmar Jhuli
For her role in Thakurmar Jhuli, Srabanti needed to appear considerably older. Rather than depending primarily on prosthetic makeup, she decided to work on her physical appearance.
The actor revealed that she deliberately gained a few kilos as part of creating the character.
“I worked on my look and that’s why I decided to gain weight.”
The physical transformation subsequently became a subject of online discussion and trolling. For Srabanti, however, the weight gain was connected directly to her performance and the demands of the role.
The project gives her an opportunity to move away from the conventional commercial heroine image associated with several phases of her career.
Srabanti’s connection with Thakurmar Jhuli
The title Thakurmar Jhuli carries a strong cultural association in Bengal. The celebrated collection of Bengali folk and fairy tales compiled by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder has been read by generations of children.
Interestingly, Srabanti says she was more familiar with the stories through watching adaptations than reading the original book herself. She also recalled watching these tales with her son.
That personal familiarity adds another layer to her involvement with a project drawing from such a recognisable part of Bengali popular culture.
Looking back at 30 years in Bengali cinema
Srabanti began her career as a child actor in 1997 with Mayar Badhon, directed by Swapan Saha. Over the years, she became associated with a number of Bengali commercial films, including Dujone, Wanted, Josh and Amanush.
Looking back at that period, the actor described it as a particularly memorable phase of Bengali commercial cinema. She recalled the atmosphere surrounding the shoots and the popularity of the songs from those films.
For Srabanti, those years remain an important part of her journey, even as her recent work increasingly takes her towards different characters and formats.
Does Srabanti want to return to commercial Bengali films?
Despite embracing more varied roles, Srabanti has not ruled out a return to full-scale commercial entertainers.
The actor revealed that she has even discussed the possibility with actor-producer Dev. She believes the success of mainstream “masala” films remains important for the wider Bengali film industry.
According to Srabanti, commercially driven films and their ability to connect with a broad audience continue to have a role in maintaining the overall health of the industry.
