PattyFreytag2 at 16:25, 9 April 2026

2026-04-09T16:25:33Z

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{{Short description|Upcoming film by Srijit Mukherji}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Emperor vs Sarat Chandra poster.jpg
| caption = Official poster released on 27 November 2025
| director = [[Srijit Mukherji]]
| producer = Pradip Kumar Nandy (Nandy Movies)
| starring = {{Plain list|
* [[Mimi Chakraborty]]
* [[Abir Chatterjee]]
* [[Tota Roy Choudhury]]
}}
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2026|05|01}}
| country = India
| language = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| based_on = [[Pather Dabi]] by [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]]
}}
'''''Emperor vs Sarat Chandra''''' is an upcoming [[Bengali-language]] [[Epic film|epic]] [[historical drama]] film written and directed by [[Srijit Mukherji]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Revisiting Rebellion: 'Emperor vs Sarat Chandra' Film Unveiled |url=https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/3713045-revisiting-rebellion-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-film-unveiled |date=2025-11-28 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=Devdiscourse |publication-place=Kolkata |agency=Devdiscourse News Desk}}</ref> Produced by Pradip Kumar Nandy under the banner of Nandy Movies, it is scheduled for release on 1 May 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Srijit Mukherji to direct 'Emperor vs Sarat Chandra' |url=https://www.desiblitz.com/content/srijit-mukherji-to-direct-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra |last=Butt |first=Ayesha |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=DESIblitz}}</ref> It is based on ''[[Pather Dabi]]'', a 1926 novel (novella) written by [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]].<ref name=thousand>{{Cite web |title=Mimi not Sohini in Srijit Mukherji’s 'Emperor vs Sarat Chandra' |url=https://www.millenniumpost.in/entertainment/mimi-not-sohini-in-srijit-mukherjis-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-637293 |date=2025-11-27 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Millennium Post |agency=MPost}}</ref>

On its first announcement, Dag Creative Media and Shree Venkatesh films were its producers. The cast given by Mukherjee was Sohini Sarkar, Abir Chatterjee, Tota Roy Choudhury, Rudranil Ghosh in lead roles. By new rules implemented by the film committee (IMPFA-Federation), Media and SVF dropped out, conflicting release dates of their films. Pradip Kumar Nandy, owner of Nandy Movies, became the producing house. Mimi Chakraborty replaced Sarkar by Nandy Movies and Buddhadev Das replaced Ghosh with prior discussion between Mukherji and Ghosh. Start of the shooting was delayed from November to January. The release date given by Srijit Mukherji is 1 May 2026.

== Premise ==
Pather Dabi was published by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in August 1926, centering the [[British Raj]] as its story. In January 1927, the novel was banned by the British colonial government (British Raj) for its revolutionary theme and for openly challenging the government.<ref name=leadroles>{{Cite web |title=Abir Chatterjee, Tota Roy Choudhury to Lead Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Emperor vs Sarat Chandra’ |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/abir-chatterjee-tota-roy-choudhury-lead-srijit-mukherjis-emperor-vs |date=2025-09-18 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]] |agency=Arts & Entertainment Desk}}</ref> Within a week, it sold out all its available copies. In 1938, Chattopadhyay died of [[liver cancer]]. The next year in 1939, the ban was lifted by the government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and a novel that shook the British Empire |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/sarat-chandra-chattopadhyay-and-a-novel-that-shook-the-british-empire-10229792/ |last=Mohta |first=Nikita |date=2025-09-05 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |publication-place=Kolkata}}</ref>

== Cast ==
* [[Abir Chatterjee]]<ref name=leadroles/> as Sabyasachi
* [[Tota Roy Choudhury]]<ref name=leadroles/> as Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
* [[Mimi Chakraborty]]
* Buddhadev Das
* Divyani Mondal<ref name=leadroles/>
* [[Kanchan Mallick]]<ref name=leadroles/>
* Rick Chattopadhyay

== Production ==

=== Development and pre-production ===
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Srijit Mukherji on screening of Begum Jaan (cropped).jpg
| total_width = 280
| caption1 = [[Srijit Mukherji]] is the director and song composer of the film.
| image2 = Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.jpg
| caption2 = The film is based on the work of [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]].
| footer =
}}

Srijit Mukherjee announced the film by posting on Twitter on the morning of 31 August 2025. He stated the film to be a period drama set in 1926, the [[Presidencies and provinces of British India#British in India (1608–1947)|pre-Indian independence era]]. He said the title of the film to be inspired from the British Indian court case about the bombing in Alipore, ''[[Emperor v. Aurobindo Ghosh and Others|Emperor v. Aurobindo Ghosh]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Srijit Mukherji announces Emperor vs Sarat Chandra, to release in 2026 |url=https://t2online.in/screen/bengali/srijit-mukherji-announces-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra--to-release-in-2026/2000865 |last=Brahma |first=Sanjali |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=t2ONLINE}}</ref> Mukherji said the production to originally begin from November 2025. Among the appearances from the period depicted, [[Rabindranath Thakur]] and [[Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das]] are to appear.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Srijit Mukherji brings Sarat Chandra's 'Pather Dabi' to screen with 'Emperor vs Sarat Chandra' |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/srijit-mukherji-brings-sarat-chandras-pather-dabi-screen-emperor-vs |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=The Daily Star |agency=Arts & Entertainment Desk}}</ref> Mukherji stated the cast to appear in the film on 17 September; he did not reveal the roles of the actors in the first few days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=আসছে 'এম্পারর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র'! পথের দাবী'র ১০০ বছর পূর্তিতে কোন চমক আনছেন সৃজিত? |url=https://calcuttatelevisionnetwork.in/category/entertainment/emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-is-coming-what-surprises-is-srijit-bringing-on-the-100th-anniversary-of-pather-daabai |date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=Calcutta Television Network}}</ref>

Upon the first announcement of the film, Srijit Mukherji said that [[Tota Roy Chowdhury|Tota Roychowdhury]], [[Abir Chatterjee]] and [[Sohini Sarkar]] would be playing the lead roles,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abir Chatterjee, Tota Roy Choudhury to headline Srijit Mukherji’s 'Emperor vs Sarat Chandra' |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/abir-chatterjee-tota-roy-choudhury-to-headline-srijit-mukherjis-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra/cid/2123545 |date=2025-09-17 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=The Telegraph |agency=Entertainment Web Desk}}</ref> with the production houses Dag Creative Media and [[Shree Venkatesh Films]].<ref name=thousand/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Abir Chatterjee and Tota Roy Choudhury to lead Emperor vs Sarat Chandra |url=https://en.bd-pratidin.com/showbiz/2025/09/18/46774 |date=2025-09-18 |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref> With effect on the Tollywood film industry, IMPFA-Federation gave out new rules that a production house will not be able to release two films at the same to avoid conflicting the release dates of films by production houses. Production companies Dag Creative Media and Shree Venkatesh Films have a release date of May for their other separate films.<ref>{{Cite web |title=বাদ সাধল ‘স্ক্রিনিং কমিটি’র নতুন নিয়ম! সৃজিতের ‘এম্পারর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র’ ছবিতে তাই বড় বদল? |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/speculations-are-director-srijit-mukherjis-upcoming-movie-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-will-not-be-produced-by-rana-sarkar-and-svf-dgtl/cid/1645167 |date=2025-11-04 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Anandabazar |agency=আনন্দবাজার ডট কম সংবাদদাতা}}</ref> In November 2025, Nandy Movies replaced Dag Creative Media as a producer. Shree Venkatesh Films left as a production house of the film.<ref name=pratidin/>

The new film poster with Nandy Movies was released on 27 November 2025.<ref name=pratidin>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-28 |title=প্রথমবার সৃজিতের ছবিতে মিমি, ‘এম্পায়ার ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র’র কাস্টিংয়ে বড় চমক! |url=https://www.sangbadpratidin.in/entertainment/cinema/mimi-chakraborty-in-srijit-mukherjis-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-film/pid/1100897/ |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[Sangbad Pratidin]] |agency=সংবাদ প্রতিদিন ডিজিটাল ডেস্ক}}</ref> Pather Dabi was adapted as a film in 1977, called [[Sabyasachi (film)|Sabyasachi]], starring [[Uttam Kumar]]. During the announcement of ''Emperor vs Sarat Chandra'', Mukhherji's upcoming film [[Lawho Gouranger Naam Re]] was being shot, scheduled for release during Christmas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=কাঞ্জি |first=শুভস্মিতা |date=2025-11-26 |title=Breaking: সৃজিতের 'এম্পেরর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র'-এ থাকছেন না সোহিনী সরকার! জায়গা নিলেন মিমি চক্রবর্তী? |url=https://www.aajkaal.in/entertainment/exclusive-mimi-chakraborty-replacing-sohini-sarkar-in-srijit-mukherjis-upcoming-film-emperor-vs-saratchandra-179033 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=Aajkal}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
Nandy Movies implemented a change in the film cast. [[Mimi Chakraborty]] replaced Sohini Sarkar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=সোহিনী বাদ, সৃজিতের সিনেমায় প্রথমবার মিমি ! কাস্টিং তালিকায় আমূল বদল |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/bn/entertainment/emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-mimi-chakraborty-acts-first-time-in-srijit-mukherjis-film-west-bengal-news-wbs25112903716 |date=2025-11-29 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=ETV Bharat |agency=ETV Bharat Entertainment Team}}</ref> After a discussion with Mukherji and [[Rudranil Ghosh]], they agreed to have Buddhadev Das to replace Ghosh. Rick Chattopadhyay replaced Satyam Bhattacharya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=সৃজিতের ছবিতে ‘উত্তমের চরিত্রে’ আবীর, ‘শরৎচন্দ্র’-এর ভূমিকায় ‘ফেলুদা’? |url=https://www.aajkaal.in/entertainment/emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-tota-oy-choudhury-and-abir-chatterjee-to-play-key-roles-in-srijit-mukherji-s-upcoming-film-reports-194808 |last=মজুমদার |first=রাহুল |date=2026-01-15 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[Aajkaal]]}}</ref> Bhattacharya acted in the shooting of [[Vijaynagar'er Hirey]]. Pre-production work was started in November 2025. Mukherji changed the film's shooting to start from January 2026.<ref name="headline" /> He stated to be four total songs in the film, with two of them being [[Rabindra Sangeet]], one song being by Srijit Mukherji and another song by Sri Jatar.<ref>{{Cite web |title='এম্পারর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র' ছবিতে সোহিনীর পরিবর্তে মিমি, আচমকা কেন নায়িকা বদলের সিদ্ধান্ত পরিচালকের? |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/srijit-mukherji-reveals-the-poster-of-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-and-opens-up-about-why-so-many-change-in-casting-dgtl/cid/1650559 |date=2025-11-28 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Anandabazar |agency=আনন্দবাজার ডট কম সংবাদদাতা}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = This film is especially close to my heart as it<br> marks my debut as a music composer.
| author = —Srijit Mukherji<ref name=headline>{{Cite web |title=Abir, Tota, Mimi to headline Srijit’s next film |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/abir-tota-mimi-to-headline-srijits-next-film/articleshow/125632890.cms |last=Ganguly |first=Raima |date=2025-11-28 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>
| align = left
}}
In 2025, Srijit Mukherji released the films ''[[Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei]]'' and ''[[Killbill Society]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=নিষিদ্ধ কণ্ঠের গানে ফিরবে ইতিহাসের সুর, আসছে সৃজিতের ছবি 'এম্পারর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র' |url=https://www.thewall.in/entertainment/srijit-mukherji-announces-new-film-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-on-pather-dabi-centenary/tid/171448 |last=দত্ত |first=অরণ্যা |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=The Wall}}</ref> In accordance with particular styles and relations with his films, he commented "Nothing of the kind is happening. I am basically making a film about the period of writing of ''Pather Daabi'', the Bengali of that time, the events and personalities."<ref>{{Cite web |title=ব্রিটিশবিরোধী আন্দোলন নিয়ে সৃজিতের ছবি ‘এম্পারর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র’, কেন এই বিষয় বাছলেন? |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/srijit-mukherji-doing-a-new-film-based-on-sharat-chandra-chattopadhyays-pather-dabi-dgtl/cid/1629591 |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=Anandabazar |agency=আনন্দবাজার ডট কম সংবাদদাতা}}</ref> He stated the film to be an "examination of ideology and resistance against oppression." He is to appear as a composer for all of the songs in the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Srijit Mukherji’s new period film to mark 100 years of 'Pather Dabi' |url=https://theprint.in/india/srijit-mukherjis-new-period-film-to-mark-100-years-of-pather-dabi/2794349/ |date=2025-11-28 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[ThePrint]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref> He announced the film celebrating the 100th anniversary of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Pather Dabi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emperor vs Sarat Chandra: Srijit Mukherji’s bold adaptation of a literary classic |url=https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/cinema/2025/Nov/28/emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-srijit-mukherjis-bold-adaptation-of-a-literary-classic |last=Roy |first=Debolina |date=2025-11-28 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=Indulge Expres}}</ref> As of 11 January, the shooting had started. According to ETV Bharat, Abir Chatterjee is playing the role of Sabyasachi. He commented on the shooting, "I think this is a very important film. Because it talks about history and the people it talks about are not only our predecessors, they are also legends. [...] I will tell the rest when the shooting is over." Tota Roy Choudhury is playing the role of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The other roles by the cast actors are confirmed and are the roles are not given.<ref name=progress>{{Cite web |title=কতদূর এগোল সৃজিতের 'এম্পেরর ভার্সেস শরৎচন্দ্র'র কাজ ? |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/bn/entertainment/abir-chatterjee-reveals-how-far-srijit-mukherji-emperor-vs-sarat-chandra-film-work-progressed-west-bengal-news-wbs26011101798 |date=2026-01-11 |access-date=2026-02-15 |website=[[ETV Bharat]] |agency=ETV Bharat Entertainment Team}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Letterboxd title}}

{{Srijit Mukherji}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Films set in 1926]]
[[Category:Bengali-language historical drama films]]
[[Category:2020s historical drama films]]
[[Category:2026 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films about corruption in India]]
[[Category:Films set in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Films directed by Srijit Mukherji]]
[[Category:2026 Bengali-language films]]
[[Category:Drama films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Films based on novellas]]
[[Category:Films based on novels]]
[[Category:Films set in the Indian independence movement]]
[[Category:Films about abuse]]
[[Category:Films about disability in India]]
[[Category:Films about violence]]
[[Category:Films about rebellions]]
[[Category:Upcoming Bengali-language films]]

Emperor vs Sarat Chandra - Revision history

PattyFreytag2 at 16:25, 9 April 2026