# Raj Chakraborty (রাজ চক্রবর্তী)
**Raj Chakraborty** (রাজ চক্রবর্তী; born 1975) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, actor and producer who works in the Bengali film industry, and a former politician who served as a Trinamool Congress member of the [West Bengal Legislative Assembly](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-bengal-legislative-assembly) from Barrackpore from 2021 to 2026.[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/raj-chakraborty/10968) • [2](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1) He is counted among the most commercially successful directors of contemporary Bengali cinema.[3](https://newseisamay.com/west-bengal/west-bengal-elections-2026/my-political-journey-ends-here-raj-chakraborty-announces-exit-from-politics-with-emotional-post-f4021c855100)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975 in Halisahar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3354020/bio/) |
| Occupations | Director, writer, actor, producer, production designer, screenwriter[1](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/raj-chakraborty/10968) |
| Directorial debut | *Chirodini Tumi Je Amar* (2008)[5](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D) |
| Television work | Directed Zee Bangla's *Mirakkel* and *Dance Bangla Dance*, and Star Jalsha's *I Laugh You*[6](https://auteurgraph.com/person/raj-chakraborty/ratings) |
| Political career | Trinamool Congress MLA from Barrackpore, 2021–2026; lost the 2026 election and quit active politics in May 2026[2](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1) • [7](https://theprint.in/feature/bengal-filmmaker-raj-chakraborty-announces-decision-to-quit-politics-after-poll-setback/2925266/) |
| Marriage | Married actress Subhashree Ganguly on 6 March 2018[8](https://m.priyo.com/people/raj-chakraborty-20180307184000) |
## Early life and television
Chakraborty was born in 1975 in Halisahar, in [North 24 Parganas district](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-24-parganas-district), [West Bengal](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-bengal), into a middle-class family, and passed his secondary examination from a polytechnic school in Kanchrapara.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3354020/bio/) • [9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeCtc3bKwY) He began his career as an assistant director.[5](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D)
Before directing his first feature film, he worked in Bengali television. He directed the popular Zee Bangla comedy reality show *Mirakkel*, hosted by the presenter Mir, and the dance competition *Dance Bangla Dance*, judged by [Mithun Chakraborty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithun-chakraborty), during their early days; he also directed [Star Jalsha](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-jalsha)'s comedy program *I Laugh You*.[6](https://auteurgraph.com/person/raj-chakraborty/ratings) • [10](https://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/62765211-interview-tollywood-bengali-director-raj-chakraborty-secrets-success-proloy-asche-s/)
## Film career
**Debut and commercial rise.** Chakraborty's first released film as director was *Chirodini Tumi Je Amar* (2008), a romantic film that, according to a [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) interview, broke box office records and established him as one of the most sought-after filmmakers in the Bengali industry.[5](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D) • [11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/love-stories-ideal-launchpad-for-newcomers-raj-chakraborty/story-KzQcUWGjRGkSd4l4CAObJK.html) A run of commercially successful films followed through the 2010s, including *Challenge* (2009), *Prem Amar* (2009), *Le Chakka* (2010), *Dui Prithibi* (2010), *Bojhena Shey Bojhena* (2012), *Proloy* (2013), *Borbaad* (2014), *Katmundu* (2015), *Chaamp* (2017) and *Adventures of Jojo* (2018).[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/raj_chakraborty) • [5](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D) A Bengali film profile lists *Challenge*, *Prem Amar*, *Dui Prithibi*, *Bojhena Shey Bojhena*, *Proloy*, *Borbaad*, *Katmundu* and *Chaamp* among his notable films.[5](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D)
**Launching newcomers.** Chakraborty has repeatedly used romantic films to introduce new actors. He introduced Rahul and Priyanka with *Chirodini Tumi Je Amar*, and later brought in Soham, Nusrat Jahan and Bonny Sengupta; in 2015 he was launching Koushani with *Parbona Ami Charte Toke*. He described passionate love stories such as *Chirodini Tumi Je Amar* and *Prem Amar* as an ideal launchpad for newcomers.[11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/love-stories-ideal-launchpad-for-newcomers-raj-chakraborty/story-KzQcUWGjRGkSd4l4CAObJK.html)
**Later films and series.** His credits in the 2020s include *Dharmajuddha* and *Habji Gabji* (both 2022, as director, writer and producer), *Babli* and *Shontaan* (2024), and the series *[Abar Proloy](https://www.edgepedia.org/abar-proloy)* (2023).[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/raj_chakraborty) • [13](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3354020/) In November 2025 he announced the sequel series *Abar Praloy 2*, promising a larger story with new characters.[14](https://infoexchange.live/uploads/2/2025-11/india_info_exchange_121125.pdf) A film titled *[Hok Kolorob](https://www.edgepedia.org/hok-kolorob-film)*, scheduled for release in the 2026 election year, was reported in an interview in which he said his party never decided the content of his cinema.[15](https://bengali.abplive.com/entertainment/raj-chakraborty-on-his-political-view-new-film-named-hok-kolorob-entertainment-news-tollywood-1150580)
In a 2024 interview promoting *Shontaan*, Chakraborty criticized practices in the Bengali industry, saying filmmakers pay for bad reviews of other directors' films and that mainstream cinema is sabotaged; he also said the industry's revenue model had shrunk, making large-budget commercial films difficult to finance.[16](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/shontaan-director-raj-chakraborty-rg-kar-protesters-asked-to-boycott-babli-then-partied-at-night-after-watching-stree-2-exclusive/05135ee0f2961)
## Politics
Chakraborty entered electoral politics in 2021, contesting the West Bengal Assembly election from Barrackpore on a Trinamool Congress ticket, and won the seat. He served as the constituency's MLA for five years, a period when several prominent figures from the Bengali entertainment industry entered electoral politics under the Trinamool banner.[2](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1) • [3](https://newseisamay.com/west-bengal/west-bengal-elections-2026/my-political-journey-ends-here-raj-chakraborty-announces-exit-from-politics-with-emotional-post-f4021c855100)
In the 2026 assembly election he lost Barrackpore to the [Bharatiya Janata Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/bharatiya-janata-party) candidate Kaustav Bagchi, a senior counsel of the [Calcutta High Court](https://www.edgepedia.org/calcutta-high-court). Press Trust of India and NDTV reported the margin as 15,822 votes, while Hindustan Times reported that he was trailing by over 9,500 votes.[2](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1) • [17](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-defeat-in-2026-west-bengal-assembly-elections-sends-best-wishes-to-new-government-101778173172409-amp.html) • [18](https://www.thehawk.in/news/india/after-defeat-trinamools-ex-mla-film-director-raj-chakrabarty-quits-politics)
On 7 May 2026, days after the result, he announced on social media that he was quitting active politics. "In 2021, I stepped into politics and was given the opportunity to serve as an MLA. For the past five years, I tried to carry out my responsibilities in the same capacity. That chapter ends in 2026, and with it, my political journey also comes to a close," he wrote in a post in Bengali on X. He congratulated the incoming government ahead of the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 9 May 2026 and expressed hope that the state would progress; his wife, the actress [Subhashree Ganguly](https://www.edgepedia.org/subhashree-ganguly), publicly supported him after the defeat.[2](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1) • [7](https://theprint.in/feature/bengal-filmmaker-raj-chakraborty-announces-decision-to-quit-politics-after-poll-setback/2925266/) His exit came amid public criticism of the Trinamool leadership by former ministers and functionaries after the poll setback.[19](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/rumblings-grow-within-tmc-after-assembly-poll-debacle/amp_articleshow/130922505.cms)
## Other roles and personal life
Chakraborty married the actress Subhashree Ganguly on 6 March 2018.[8](https://m.priyo.com/people/raj-chakraborty-20180307184000) He has also taken industry-wide roles: he served as chairman of a committee of the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival.[20](https://www.wbicad.in/wb-admin/uploads/publication/3390834392571714734086.pdf) In his own account of his working method, he has said he enjoys placing non-mainstream actors in commercial films and commercial actors in subdued roles, and that he makes films to make money rather than for awards.[16](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/shontaan-director-raj-chakraborty-rg-kar-protesters-asked-to-boycott-babli-then-partied-at-night-after-watching-stree-2-exclusive/05135ee0f2961)
## References
1. [Raj Chakraborty – Movies, Biography, News, Age & Photos, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/raj-chakraborty/10968)
2. [Ex-Trinamool MLA, Director Raj Chakraborty Quits Politics After Election Loss, NDTV/PTI](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ex-trinamool-mla-director-raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-election-loss-11464457/amp/1)
3. ['My political journey ends here': Raj Chakraborty announces exit from politics, News Ei Samay](https://newseisamay.com/west-bengal/west-bengal-elections-2026/my-political-journey-ends-here-raj-chakraborty-announces-exit-from-politics-with-emotional-post-f4021c855100)
4. [Raj Chakraborty – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3354020/bio/)
5. [রাজ চক্রবর্তী (পরিচালক), Bangla Cinema 100](https://banglacinema100.com/profile-details/YjFJemRWRXpiRlpETkdrd09UQkJNSHBCY0RWaFFUMDk%3D)
6. [Raj Chakraborty Ratings, AuteurGraph](https://auteurgraph.com/person/raj-chakraborty/ratings)
7. [Bengal: Filmmaker Raj Chakraborty announces decision to quit politics after poll setback, ThePrint/PTI](https://theprint.in/feature/bengal-filmmaker-raj-chakraborty-announces-decision-to-quit-politics-after-poll-setback/2925266/)
8. [রাজ চক্রবর্তী, Priyo](https://m.priyo.com/people/raj-chakraborty-20180307184000)
9. [পরিচালক ও অভিনেতা রাজ চক্রবর্তীর জীবনী, YouTube (Durbin)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeCtc3bKwY)
10. [Interview: Tollywood Bengali Director Raj Chakraborty, Washington Bangla Radio](https://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/62765211-interview-tollywood-bengali-director-raj-chakraborty-secrets-success-proloy-asche-s/)
11. [Love stories ideal launchpad for newcomers: Raj Chakraborty, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/love-stories-ideal-launchpad-for-newcomers-raj-chakraborty/story-KzQcUWGjRGkSd4l4CAObJK.html)
12. [Raj Chakraborty Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/raj_chakraborty)
13. [Raj Chakraborty, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3354020/)
14. [India Info Exchange, Kolkata, 12 November 2025](https://infoexchange.live/uploads/2/2025-11/india_info_exchange_121125.pdf)
15. [Raj Chakraborty on his political view and new film 'Hok Kolorob', ABP Ananda](https://bengali.abplive.com/entertainment/raj-chakraborty-on-his-political-view-new-film-named-hok-kolorob-entertainment-news-tollywood-1150580)
16. [Shontaan director Raj Chakraborty interview, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/shontaan-director-raj-chakraborty-rg-kar-protesters-asked-to-boycott-babli-then-partied-at-night-after-watching-stree-2-exclusive/05135ee0f2961)
17. [Raj Chakraborty quits politics after defeat in 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/raj-chakraborty-quits-politics-after-defeat-in-2026-west-bengal-assembly-elections-sends-best-wishes-to-new-government-101778173172409-amp.html)
18. [After defeat, Trinamool's ex-MLA film director Raj Chakrabarty 'quits' politics, The Hawk/IANS](https://www.thehawk.in/news/india/after-defeat-trinamools-ex-mla-film-director-raj-chakrabarty-quits-politics)
19. ['Party split into two factions': Filmmaker Raj Chakraborty exits politics amid mounting rebellion inside TMC, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/rumblings-grow-within-tmc-after-assembly-poll-debacle/amp_articleshow/130922505.cms)
20. [বর্ষ-৫২ সংখ্যা ৩ (25th Kolkata International Film Festival coverage), WBICAD](https://www.wbicad.in/wb-admin/uploads/publication/3390834392571714734086.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Indian and South Asian film directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license