Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has been appointed as an Advisor to the West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, marking a significant role for the veteran film personality in the state administration’s cultural affairs.
Chakraborty will hold the rank of a Cabinet Minister in the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, which is under the charge of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The appointment comes as the BJP government seeks to strengthen its focus on Bengal’s cultural and film sectors.
The announcement was made by Adhikari during an event linked to the centenary celebrations of legendary Bengali actor Uttam Kumar.
The state government has been positioning the celebrations as part of a broader effort to promote Bengal’s film heritage and revive the state’s position as a major cultural and cinematic centre.
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Chakraborty, one of the most recognisable names in Indian cinema, has also been an active BJP campaigner and a prominent political figure in West Bengal.
His appointment gives the actor a formal role in the state government at a time when the new BJP administration is seeking to establish its cultural and governance agenda.
The actor had campaigned extensively for the BJP during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The party went on to defeat the Trinamool Congress and form the government in the state, with Adhikari becoming Bengal’s first BJP chief minister.
The new role also comes against the backdrop of the state government’s plans to expand film and cultural infrastructure. Adhikari recently laid the foundation stone for the Uttam Kumar Film Centre in New Town, Kolkata. The project is intended to provide modern facilities for film production and related activities.
The government has also announced plans for a new state-of-the-art theatre complex, with the chief minister stressing the need to strengthen Bengal’s cultural ecosystem and provide greater support to the film industry.
Chakraborty’s appointment is therefore significant not only because of his political association with the BJP but also because of his long-standing connection with the Bengali and Hindi film industries. His experience in cinema is expected to bring a prominent industry voice into the government’s cultural policy framework.
The appointment comes as the Adhikari government completes its first 150 days in office. India Today reported that the new administration has sought to mark a departure from the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule through a combination of administrative changes, investment initiatives and a stronger emphasis on cultural and religious identity
Adhikari himself holds the Information and Cultural Affairs portfolio along with Home and Hill Affairs, Power, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Land and Land Reforms, and other departments not allocated to another minister.
For Chakraborty, the appointment represents a transition from being one of the BJP’s most prominent campaigners in Bengal to taking on a formal advisory responsibility within the state government.
The veteran actor has maintained a high public profile within the BJP in recent years. Adhikari has also publicly described Chakraborty as a prominent party figure. In August, the chief minister visited the actor at a Kolkata hospital after Chakraborty underwent surgery, and described him as a “Distinguished film actor and BJP central committee member”.
With Chakraborty now entering the government’s cultural policy structure, the appointment is likely to draw attention to the BJP administration’s approach towards Bengal’s influential film and cultural institutions.
Source: India Today