Excluisive! Raj Chakraborty: It is not a challenge to look after Yaalini and manage KIFF

Raj Chakraborty has no time to respite. On Monday, he brought Subhashree Ganguly and their newborn, Yaalini from the hospital after the child’s birth. On Tuesday, one of the biggest festivals on Bengal’s calendar – the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival – will begin. How is he managing the stress? He appears to be completely in control of the situation. In a candid chat with OTTplay, Raj opens up about his joy of parenthood and how he is confident about his KIFF team. 

Also read: Raj Chakraborty: Father means courage, security, someone who will cover us  

Talking about his newborn, Raj says, “When Subhashree and the baby were in the hospital, I was there throughout. After the delivery, the first concern that came to my mind was the health of the baby and her mother. When I saw them alright, the joy started creeping in.”

Raj and Subhashree wanted a baby daughter after Yuvaan – their son. “We constantly pray for a daughter this time. Besides, we asked our friends and relatives to pray as well,” Raj quips, adding, “This kind of happiness and joy is hard to express.”

Meanwhile, Raj-Subhashree’s firstborn Yuvaan is very happy. “He went to the hospital, took the baby on his lap, and said, ‘Baby sister, will you play with me’? He is super excited,” Raj says. 

Also read: Raj Chakraborty and Subhashree Ganguly’s newborn: Here is what their son Yuvaan want

On the other hand, the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival will commence on December 5. This is the fifth year, Raj acts as the chairman of the KIFF committee. How will he manage the work and home front responsibilities? “KIFF is not a one-day or one-week matter. A supremely efficient committee works dedicatedly for a whole long year to make this a successful show. People who work here are not only efficient but also dedicated. They love this. Besides, there are people like Goutamda (Ghose), Arindamda (Sil), Sudeshnadi (Roy), Chakida (PB Chaki), and others who take immense responsibility for making this event a successful one. This year, Bumbada (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is present in full form. The committee members are so well coordinated that one backs the other up. If you ask me, I will be at Nandan – the main venue – all the time. My house is nearby and in case of urgency, I will just go,” he says. 

During the time of the festival, Raj goes all out to make the festival accessible to as many people as possible. “Fascinating films are shown in the festival and it is so contending to watch people queuing up to watch global cinema. Our challenge is not to host the show but to make it bigger and better than the previous year,” says Raj.