Feb 02, 2026 7:13pm IST
Prosenjit on Padma Shri win: It was doubly special because I received the news in front of my fans (EXCLUSIVE)
West Bengal’s superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee is elated. After four decades, he has been announced as one of the recipients of the Padma Awards 2026 from the state. This news is coinciding with the box office success of his latest release, Vijaynager’er Hirey, which is running to packed houses. Prosenjit shares that he got the news when he was interacting with his fans at Kolkata’s Navina Cinema. He says there could not be a more memorable venue than the theater, which was established more than 50 years ago.
He states, “I was not aware of the announcement. I was promoting my film before my fans when my director (Chandrashish Ray) broke the news in front of my fans. It was the best thing to happen. As you know, people know me as Bumba Da. In Bengal, when people know you more by your nickname than your real name then it means that you are part of the family. This love means the world to me. I would also like to thank my directors, writers, colleagues, exhibitors, producers and everyone who has stood by me through thick and thin.”
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Prosenjit says his family was in tears after hearing the news. He is the son of veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee and his first wife, late Ratna Chatterjee. Revealing his dad’s reaction, he shared, “My dad said you got this (award) to the Chatterjee family. My son is also going to enter films, he too was moved.” The Bengali superstar who has worked in over 300 films is thrilled with the success of his latest movie. He is particularly proud of Chandrashish Ray, the director of the action adventure movie. “He is a debutant director. Working with new people who envision me differently and exploit my potential is wonderful. I would like to dedicate this Padma award to my good friend, late filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh. He pushed me to experiment and gave birth to another Prosenjit,” he says emotionally. The actor and producer has worked in Hindi films and OTT as well. He was a part of Hansal Mehta’s Scoop and Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter.
Prosenjit had a busy time thanking the whole industry for the congratulatory messages that came pouring in. From Bollywood, Hansal Mehta and Amitabh Bachchan sent their regards after the announcement. “Actress Sandhya Roy, who was my father’s co-star, came over to my place. She was a close friend of my mother. She said it was my mother’s blessings and my dedication towards my work that won me this honor,” he expresses. Veteran actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty was one of the first to arrive at Prosenjit’s home in the morning of the announcement to congratulate him. “He is my senior and said I totally deserved this honor,” Prosenjit adds.
The Jaatishwar actor idolizes Amitabh Bachchan and the Late Soumitra Chatterjee, one of the legends of Bengali cinema. “I love their focus on their craft. I always tried to keep my focus and not get distracted into other things. Big B proved he was a powerhouse with films like Black even in his senior years, and Soumitra Sir kept on acting even when he was past 80 with films like Bela Seshe,” he states.
Prosenjit believes that old talent needs to make place for the new. He says he left certain kind of movies for younger actors as they were meant for them. “I am happy with the kind of roles I am getting. I did good work with films like Shankhachil (2016) which I also produced. Recently, I was at Subhash Ghai’s institute and was happy to know how students liked my work. I believe the body of work matters."
Prosenjit believes that an actor needs to take risks not worrying about the box office outcome of the movie. " You cannot take calculated decisions all the time,” he says with affirmation.
The Bengali superstar signs off saying what cinema means to him. “For me, cinema means absolute honesty,” he signs off before heading to another promotional event for his latest movie in the Kakababu franchise.
Prosenjit began his career as a child artiste with Chotto Jigyasa, a movie directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Prosenjit bagged awards for his performance as a child who tries to come on terms with the loss of his mother. He tasted box office success with Amar Sangee in 1987. After 2000, Prosenjit began to experiment with different roles with movies like Dosar (2006), Shob Charitro Kalponik (2009), Autograph (2010), Moner Manush (2010), Baishe Srabon (2011) and others.
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