The Struggling Film Maker, Yet the Fighter: Banti Mondal of Falakata

Arunangshu Maitra

This is a story of a Rural Bengal’s Film Director and his continuous struggle for a stepping stone into the Filmdom. This is a story of a young boy who hails from a rural set up of Falakata and is still in his struggling days of the so-called film world. This is a reflection of many young minds aspiration to go to the top from this infrastructure less North Bengal’s Film set up to Bollywood but the aspiration stops in a midway.

However, Banti Mondal continues his journey with enthusiasm and no complaints. Yes, this is Banti Mondal the very rural Bengal guy from Falakata whose struggle is continuing that started from a local cable TV channel of Falakata in the year 2004. After that, he made many and produced many Films, Music Video, TV Shows, TV Commercials etc. He is not only a Cinematographer but also a talented music composer, script writer, and a professional lyricist. Banti Mondal is a self-made man, who lost his father in his early childhood. From then family economics and career planning were his motto.

He is one of the few talented people from North Bengal, who is trying to hold the stakes high for North Bengal Cinema without making this profession, a secondary venture. Banti knows problems of North Bengal Films industry, its technical and financial backwardness, its zero-branding capabilities, its celebrity less outlook etc. Yet he stays here and is ready to face the challenges. Currently, Banti Mondol is busy in his next venture, a New Bengali feature film featuring all North Bengal star cast and North Bengal locales. Let’s hope for the best . . .

Photos: Arunangshu Maitra (TNI)
Translation: Snigdha Som (TNI)