Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar performs in theatrical production in Kolkata
The BJP leader portrayed former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a play about the life of Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar performed in a theatrical production titled 'Keshari Hatya' on Sunday at Kolkata's Rabindra Sadan, according to The Hawk. The play depicts the life and death of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS).
Majumdar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, took on the role of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and also appeared as the narrator. He told the media that he accepted the role because every Bengali has a latent desire to act.
The Minister stated that he conducted rehearsals while attending to his official engagements, participating whenever he could afford the time. This follows a precedent set more than two decades ago by former Union Minister Ajit Panja (1936-2008), who was known for portraying Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Senior journalist Saumya Bandopadhya noted that while West Bengal politicians like Subrata Mukherjee and Bratya Basu have acted in stage and cinema, neither served as Union Ministers. Bandopadhya mentioned that Majumdar and Panja are the only Union Ministers from West Bengal to have acted in plays.
Journalist Gautam Hor added that the attempt stands out because of the time constraints required for a minister's job, specifically for rehearsals. Panja had previously performed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with former Prime Minister Vajpayee and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu having attended his performances.