Bengali actress Payel Mukherjee keen to explore Odia cinema

Bhubaneswar: Bengali actress Payel Mukherjee has expressed her interest in working in the Odia film industry, saying she sees several cultural similarities between Odisha and West Bengal.

Mukherjee, who was recently in Bhubaneswar to attend a beauty pageant event, said she would be open to taking up an Odia film if she comes across a strong script and an interesting story.

“I would love to work in an Odia movie if I get a good script and story. There are a lot of similarities between Bengal and Odisha, especially in our food and culture. So, I think it would be an interesting experience to work in an Odia film,” she said.

Mukherjee has worked across Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Bangladeshi cinema. She has featured in Bengali films including Michael, Dekh Kemon Lage, Agantuk, Debigarh-e Garbar, Phaans, Chol Kuntal and Noishabdo. Her performance as the protagonist in Noishabdo (2024) received appreciation from critics.

She has also appeared in web series, including Kalimpong Krimes.
Mukherjee made her Bollywood debut with Woh 3 Din (2022), followed by Non Stop Dhamaal (2023). Her upcoming Hindi projects include Konman, presented by Prakash Jha Productions, Girgit, Pullu and the international film festival-acclaimed Flowers of the Mountain.

In Telugu cinema, she made her debut with Srirangapuram (2022), which received critical and commercial appreciation, followed by Roudra Roopaya Namah (2024). She also appeared in the Bangladeshi film Captain Khan (2018) and the 2021 comedy-drama Gondi, which won three National Film Awards in Bangladesh.

Mukherjee made her Malayalam debut with Eva (2021), for which she won the Best Actress award at the Kerala Short Film Festival.

The association between Bengali actresses and Odia cinema has a long history, with several actresses working across the two industries. Rachna Banerjee became one of the most popular Bengali faces in Ollywood after featuring in several successful Odia films, while Rituparna Sengupta also began her film career with the Odia film Kotia Manisha Gotiye Jaga. Jhilik Bhattacharjee, who has roots in West Bengal, has been a familiar face in Odia cinema, appearing in films such as Target, Akhire Akhire, Love You Hamesha and Agastya. Other Bengali actresses including Rupsha Mukhopadhyay, Ragini Sutradhar, Malobika Banerjee and Koyel Banerjee have also appeared in Odia films, reflecting the longstanding cultural and cinematic connection between Odisha and West Bengal.