TMC-allied Tollywood actor gets arrest shield as Rograni post bites back
West Bengal's BJP government is reopening cases linked to the post-poll violence that followed the 2021 Assembly elections. Amid this, a five-year-old "Rograni Dibosh" post by actor Parambrata Chatterjee, made on the day the results were declared and violence erupted across parts of the state, has come back to haunt him. Though the Calcutta High Court has granted him anticipatory bail, the post has become a thorn in Chatterjee's side.
Words, whether spoken or typed, carry weight. It's a lesson actor Parambrata Chatterjee is learning the hard way. The actor, known for his roles in both Bangla and Hindi films (including Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani), finds himself named in an FIR over a five-year-old tweet (a post on X) from the result day of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, which saw a turbulent aftermath. Chatterjee is also known for harbouring sympathies for the TMC. Ahead of the 2026 elections, he had campaigned for TMC candidates in Barasat, Madhyamgram, Rishra and Noapara.
Accused of inciting political violence through the post after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election results, Chatterjee wrote, "Let today be declared World 'Rograni Dibosh' (Thrashing Day)". Not just Chatterjee, actor Swastika Mukherjee too is named in the FIR for a comment.
She wrote, "Hahahah Hok Hok" (Let it happen), along with two beer-mug cheers emojis. The post and comment have now come back to bite them.
Lodged at Kolkata's Gariahat police station by advocate Joydeep Sen, the complaint accused Chatterjee and fellow actor Swastika Mukherjee of making social media posts that abetted and instigated the large-scale post-poll violence. It included "the murders of BJP workers, the rape and molestation of BJP women workers, and the violence carried out by the Trinamool Congress in 2021".
Critics also accused Chatterjee of hiding behind his infant son to justify what he later described as a political compromise (interpreted to be with the Trinamool Congress). Some said using his child to give a "forced apology was disgraceful" and his shifting positions reflected "hypocrisy and opportunism". He has been likened to a "chameleon".
Refusing to take any chances, Chatterjee moved the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail and the quashing of the FIR. The court granted interim relief, directing authorities to take no coercive action against the actor, provided he cooperates fully with the ongoing police investigation.
Swastika Mukherjee was reportedly questioned for nearly an hour at the Gariahat police station.
Actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay is among Bengal's biggest stars. He campaigned for the Trinamool Congress and is best known for playing Topshe in films based on Satyajit Ray's Feluda stories. Over the years, he has worked with acclaimed directors such as Aparna Sen, Srijit Mukherji and Sujoy Ghosh, while also appearing in Hindi films including Kahaani, Pari and Bulbbul.
This is the story of how a five-year tweet has now become a thorn in the side of the two actors.
'LET TODAY BE DECLARED WORLD TRASHING DAY
Post-poll violence has long been a grim and almost avowed political tradition in West Bengal, and 2021 proved to be no exception.
While April saw the peak of clashes during the voting period, with 123 violent incidents and 19 fatalities, the aftermath of the election turned even deadlier.
Once the results were announced on May 2, which the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won, a wave of violence swept the state. May recorded 88 violent events and 31 deaths, largely targeting opposition supporters after the TMC secured its victory. It was in the midst of this bloodletting that the tweet was made by Parambrata Chatterjee.
On the results' day in 2021, as it became crystal clear that the TMC was about to secure its third victory in West Bengal's Assembly polls, Chatterjee wrote, "Aj bishwo Rograni Dibosh ghoshona hok (Let today be declared World Thrashing Day)".
Replying to him, actress Swastika Mukherjee posted, "Haha, Hok Hok (Ha ha, let it happen)".
Mukherjee is one of Bengal's most recognisable actors, known for films such as Bhooter Bhabishyat, Shah Jahan Regency and Bijoya, while Hindi audiences might know her from Qala and Dil Bechara.
COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST PARAMBRATA, SWASTIK
When Chatterjee and Mukherjee posted their tweets back in 2021, they faced no immediate backlash. Five years later, the political landscape has flipped. The Trinamool Congress administration of 2021 has been replaced by the BJP, which swept into power in this year's Assembly polls.
Then the legal trouble began on May 21.
Advocate Joydeep Sen filed an FIR against Parambrata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee at Kolkata's Gariahat Police Station. Sen alleged that the actors made social media remarks that incited political violence in the volatile atmosphere following the 2021 election results.
The complaint specifically pointed to Chatterjee’s post and Mukherjee's supportive reply, claiming these comments fuelled an atmosphere of hostility that directly contributed to widespread post-poll unrest, including the killing of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar in Beliaghata just hours later.
"A complaint has been received at Gariahat police station, and an FIR has been registered. The matter is being examined as per law," a senior Kolkata Police officer told news agency PTI. While the newer Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is currently in force, authorities invoked sections 109 (abetment) and 153A (promoting enmity between groups—a non-bailable offence) of the older Indian Penal Code (IPC), given the timeline of the alleged 2021 offence.
An investigation has officially been initiated, and police have already questioned Swastika Mukherjee for nearly an hour at the Gariahat police station. While neither actor has issued a direct public statement, Chatterjee’s wife, Piya Chakraborty, strongly defended him, while speaking to The Times of India. She called the incitement claims preposterous.
"The term rograni was originally used by BJP leader Dilip Ghosh to threaten and intimidate dissenting artists," Chakraborty said. "His exact words were "Shilipira janen ami kibhabe rograi (Artistes know how I do it)... Param’s post was a dig at this comment. Why is that not coming up in any media coverage? I think to even consider that the post implied anything harmful is preposterous," The Times of India quoted Chatterjee’s wife, Piya Chakraborty, as saying.
CHATTERJEE APPROACHED COURT, SOUGHT ANTICIPATORY BAIL
Not taking any chances, Chatterjee moved the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the FIR filed against his provocative posts.
And on Friday, the Calcutta High Court granted interim relief to Chatterjee, directing the police to take no coercive action against him for four weeks on the condition that he fully cooperates with the investigation.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee noted that Chatterjee had made out an arguable case requiring an adjudication on its merits.
During the hearing, Chatterjee's counsel argued that the case was a clear abuse of the legal process, pointing out that the FIR lacked any specific allegations of overt unlawful conduct and was filed after an inexplicable five-year delay.
BJP LEADERS ACCUSE CHATTERJEE OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM
Beyond allegations of inciting violence, BJP leaders have publicly accused prominent actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee of political opportunism following West Bengal's recent regime change.
Chatterjee had actively campaigned for Trinamool Congress candidates ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. However, following the BJP’s landslide victory, Chatterjee reportedly walked back his stance of supporting the Mamata-led party. The actor claimed he had to "compromise" and align with the Trinamool Congress purely out of concern for the safety of his one-year-old son, reported Kolkata-based daily, The Telegraph.
Critics accused Parambrata Chatterjee of hiding behind his infant son to justify what he later described as a political compromise. Costume designer Suchismita Dasgupta said that using his child to give a "forced apology was disgraceful" and that his shifting positions reflected "hypocrisy and opportunism".
Actor Debdut Ghosh likened him to a "chameleon". BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said artistes who once treated the BJP as "untouchable" were now trying to "play the victim card".
The BJP leadership rejected this defence. It was an attempt to find favour with the new administration, the party said. West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul dismissed Chatterjee's rationale.
"When there was post-poll violence in 2021, these artists used the word 'Rograni Dibosh'. These words can be expected of criminals, but not from people like Parambrata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee. Right now, they are trying to pivot and support the BJP. I think this is highly opportunistic... The public has no respect for turncoats," Paul was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
BJP leader Keya Ghosh noted that elite actors have shifted their stance. Thousands of ordinary BJP supporters and several fellow actors faced intense systemic pressure from the Trinamool Congress for years, yet chose to stand their ground without compromising, The Hindu reported.
Regardless of this brief legal pause, Chatterjee has good reason to be nervous about his five-year-old post. Following the BJP’s recent landmark victory in the state assembly elections, the newly formed administration has unleashed an aggressive legal blitz to punish the alleged perpetrators of the 2021 post-poll unrest.
The state police and the West Bengal CID have reopened 59 cold cases, initiated 458 fresh inquiries, and registered 181 new FIRs targeting figures connected to the previous Trinamool Congress regime. The crackdown has been swift and unforgiving. Several local TMC-linked strongmen accused of extortion and poll violence have already been arrested, stripped down to their underclothes, and marched publicly through the streets by local police.
Chatterjee is not a strongman, but that is not stopping his old post from coming back to bite him.
Words, whether spoken or typed, carry weight. It's a lesson actor Parambrata Chatterjee is learning the hard way. The actor, known for his roles in both Bangla and Hindi films (including Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani), finds himself named in an FIR over a five-year-old tweet (a post on X) from the result day of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, which saw a turbulent aftermath. Chatterjee is also known for harbouring sympathies for the TMC. Ahead of the 2026 elections, he had campaigned for TMC candidates in Barasat, Madhyamgram, Rishra and Noapara.
Accused of inciting political violence through the post after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election results, Chatterjee wrote, "Let today be declared World 'Rograni Dibosh' (Thrashing Day)". Not just Chatterjee, actor Swastika Mukherjee too is named in the FIR for a comment.
She wrote, "Hahahah Hok Hok" (Let it happen), along with two beer-mug cheers emojis. The post and comment have now come back to bite them.
Lodged at Kolkata's Gariahat police station by advocate Joydeep Sen, the complaint accused Chatterjee and fellow actor Swastika Mukherjee of making social media posts that abetted and instigated the large-scale post-poll violence. It included "the murders of BJP workers, the rape and molestation of BJP women workers, and the violence carried out by the Trinamool Congress in 2021".
Critics also accused Chatterjee of hiding behind his infant son to justify what he later described as a political compromise (interpreted to be with the Trinamool Congress). Some said using his child to give a "forced apology was disgraceful" and his shifting positions reflected "hypocrisy and opportunism". He has been likened to a "chameleon".
Refusing to take any chances, Chatterjee moved the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail and the quashing of the FIR. The court granted interim relief, directing authorities to take no coercive action against the actor, provided he cooperates fully with the ongoing police investigation.
Swastika Mukherjee was reportedly questioned for nearly an hour at the Gariahat police station.
Actor-director Parambrata Chattopadhyay is among Bengal's biggest stars. He campaigned for the Trinamool Congress and is best known for playing Topshe in films based on Satyajit Ray's Feluda stories. Over the years, he has worked with acclaimed directors such as Aparna Sen, Srijit Mukherji and Sujoy Ghosh, while also appearing in Hindi films including Kahaani, Pari and Bulbbul.
This is the story of how a five-year tweet has now become a thorn in the side of the two actors.
'LET TODAY BE DECLARED WORLD TRASHING DAY
Post-poll violence has long been a grim and almost avowed political tradition in West Bengal, and 2021 proved to be no exception.
While April saw the peak of clashes during the voting period, with 123 violent incidents and 19 fatalities, the aftermath of the election turned even deadlier.
Once the results were announced on May 2, which the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won, a wave of violence swept the state. May recorded 88 violent events and 31 deaths, largely targeting opposition supporters after the TMC secured its victory. It was in the midst of this bloodletting that the tweet was made by Parambrata Chatterjee.
On the results' day in 2021, as it became crystal clear that the TMC was about to secure its third victory in West Bengal's Assembly polls, Chatterjee wrote, "Aj bishwo Rograni Dibosh ghoshona hok (Let today be declared World Thrashing Day)".
Replying to him, actress Swastika Mukherjee posted, "Haha, Hok Hok (Ha ha, let it happen)".
Mukherjee is one of Bengal's most recognisable actors, known for films such as Bhooter Bhabishyat, Shah Jahan Regency and Bijoya, while Hindi audiences might know her from Qala and Dil Bechara.
COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST PARAMBRATA, SWASTIK
When Chatterjee and Mukherjee posted their tweets back in 2021, they faced no immediate backlash. Five years later, the political landscape has flipped. The Trinamool Congress administration of 2021 has been replaced by the BJP, which swept into power in this year's Assembly polls.
Then the legal trouble began on May 21.
Advocate Joydeep Sen filed an FIR against Parambrata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee at Kolkata's Gariahat Police Station. Sen alleged that the actors made social media remarks that incited political violence in the volatile atmosphere following the 2021 election results.
The complaint specifically pointed to Chatterjee’s post and Mukherjee's supportive reply, claiming these comments fuelled an atmosphere of hostility that directly contributed to widespread post-poll unrest, including the killing of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar in Beliaghata just hours later.
"A complaint has been received at Gariahat police station, and an FIR has been registered. The matter is being examined as per law," a senior Kolkata Police officer told news agency PTI. While the newer Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is currently in force, authorities invoked sections 109 (abetment) and 153A (promoting enmity between groups—a non-bailable offence) of the older Indian Penal Code (IPC), given the timeline of the alleged 2021 offence.
An investigation has officially been initiated, and police have already questioned Swastika Mukherjee for nearly an hour at the Gariahat police station. While neither actor has issued a direct public statement, Chatterjee’s wife, Piya Chakraborty, strongly defended him, while speaking to The Times of India. She called the incitement claims preposterous.
"The term rograni was originally used by BJP leader Dilip Ghosh to threaten and intimidate dissenting artists," Chakraborty said. "His exact words were "Shilipira janen ami kibhabe rograi (Artistes know how I do it)... Param’s post was a dig at this comment. Why is that not coming up in any media coverage? I think to even consider that the post implied anything harmful is preposterous," The Times of India quoted Chatterjee’s wife, Piya Chakraborty, as saying.
CHATTERJEE APPROACHED COURT, SOUGHT ANTICIPATORY BAIL
Not taking any chances, Chatterjee moved the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the FIR filed against his provocative posts.
And on Friday, the Calcutta High Court granted interim relief to Chatterjee, directing the police to take no coercive action against him for four weeks on the condition that he fully cooperates with the investigation.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee noted that Chatterjee had made out an arguable case requiring an adjudication on its merits.
During the hearing, Chatterjee's counsel argued that the case was a clear abuse of the legal process, pointing out that the FIR lacked any specific allegations of overt unlawful conduct and was filed after an inexplicable five-year delay.
BJP LEADERS ACCUSE CHATTERJEE OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM
Beyond allegations of inciting violence, BJP leaders have publicly accused prominent actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee of political opportunism following West Bengal's recent regime change.
Chatterjee had actively campaigned for Trinamool Congress candidates ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. However, following the BJP’s landslide victory, Chatterjee reportedly walked back his stance of supporting the Mamata-led party. The actor claimed he had to "compromise" and align with the Trinamool Congress purely out of concern for the safety of his one-year-old son, reported Kolkata-based daily, The Telegraph.
Critics accused Parambrata Chatterjee of hiding behind his infant son to justify what he later described as a political compromise. Costume designer Suchismita Dasgupta said that using his child to give a "forced apology was disgraceful" and that his shifting positions reflected "hypocrisy and opportunism".
Actor Debdut Ghosh likened him to a "chameleon". BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said artistes who once treated the BJP as "untouchable" were now trying to "play the victim card".
The BJP leadership rejected this defence. It was an attempt to find favour with the new administration, the party said. West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul dismissed Chatterjee's rationale.
"When there was post-poll violence in 2021, these artists used the word 'Rograni Dibosh'. These words can be expected of criminals, but not from people like Parambrata Chatterjee and Swastika Mukherjee. Right now, they are trying to pivot and support the BJP. I think this is highly opportunistic... The public has no respect for turncoats," Paul was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
BJP leader Keya Ghosh noted that elite actors have shifted their stance. Thousands of ordinary BJP supporters and several fellow actors faced intense systemic pressure from the Trinamool Congress for years, yet chose to stand their ground without compromising, The Hindu reported.
Regardless of this brief legal pause, Chatterjee has good reason to be nervous about his five-year-old post. Following the BJP’s recent landmark victory in the state assembly elections, the newly formed administration has unleashed an aggressive legal blitz to punish the alleged perpetrators of the 2021 post-poll unrest.
The state police and the West Bengal CID have reopened 59 cold cases, initiated 458 fresh inquiries, and registered 181 new FIRs targeting figures connected to the previous Trinamool Congress regime. The crackdown has been swift and unforgiving. Several local TMC-linked strongmen accused of extortion and poll violence have already been arrested, stripped down to their underclothes, and marched publicly through the streets by local police.
Chatterjee is not a strongman, but that is not stopping his old post from coming back to bite him.
