After receiving the “Screen Best Actor Award” for Bhojpuri cinema “Nachaniya” Bollywood actor and immensely talented dancer Avinash Dwivedi, has also won the “Best Actor Award” for his first Bengali film “Rickshawala”; directed by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, at Ayodhya International Film Festival in Lucknow today.
“Rickshawala is very close to my heart not only because I have won the award but it is one of the finest projects which portrays the dying culture of Kolkata, City Of Joy. I have played the role of a rickshaw puller and got to know closely about their life and day to day struggle to keep alive the traditional vehicle of Kolkata. I feel blessed to be a part of this project and thankful to my director Ram Kamal Mukherjee for choosing me to play this character”, says Avinash.
Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee shares, “Avinash is one of the finest human beings who has not only trusted my vision but gave his blood and sweat for the character. I am happy to introduce him as an actor in the mainstream of Indian cinema. I think he truly deserves all the awards and accolades for Rickshawala.”
After the immense success of Cakewalk, Season’s Greetings: A Tribute To Rituparno Ghosh, Rickshawala is Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s fourth film. And for the last one, he got the best director award. Being a Kolkata boy Ram Kamal Mukherjee has seen closely the rickshaw pullers and their lives.
“I used to wonder how these rickshaw pullers who are thin used to carry people and pull the rickshaw in the busy streets and the by-lanes of Kolkata. Later, I watched “Do Bigha Zameen” and “City Of Joy”, I was blown away how the directors have portrayed their character. It is a small tribute from my side to this dying culture of Kolkata”, added Ram Kamal Mukherjee.
Producer Aritra Das says, “This film is our first project in Bengali. Avinash played the lead character in this film. As a producer, I never came across an actor like Avinash who was stays dedicated towards his character and works with us as a team member without giving any tantrums or starry attitude.
I feel really happy. His hard work is getting recognised. I am also happy for my director Ram Kamal Mukherjee who bagged Best Director Award for “Rickshawala”. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without my co-producer Gaurav Daga who went out of his way to make sure that we face no issues while making this film.”
“Rickshawala” is a story about a dying culture of Kolkata and also a tribute to Bimal Roy’s “Do Bigha Zameen” and Roland Joffe’s the “City Of Joy”.
