Actor Swastika Mukherjee portrays an investigative journalist in Durgapur Junction, the latest Bengali film helmed by Arindam Bhattacharya. Playing a character who must navigate a challenging and perilous case, the actress shared her thoughts with regarding broader issues of journalistic integrity, the significant changes brought by social media, and what it means to be a celebrity in today's world. (Excerpts)

On Durgapur Junction

The actress is optimistic that viewers will enjoy Durgapur Junction, noting that Bengali Cinema is currently thriving. She states, “The hope is that the audience comes to theatres and watches our film. I think we are in a good space now, overall, as people are going to cinemas, and the films that have released in the recent past are doing well. All kinds of genres are being tried. There’s a Manikbabur Megh, which is such a personal film, and then we have a Puratawn, so I think people are watching all kinds of films. ”

“With Durgapur Junction, the genre is that of a thriller which audiences will adore. Overall, I feel Indian audiences have a tendency towards thrillers. I don’t think we have worked in such a fresh premise related to medical and pharmaceutical-related stories. As an artist, I always attempt to present something new to the table,” she continues.

‘There is such a mad rush for breaking news’

The actor shares her thoughts on portraying Ushahsie, a bold journalist in Durgapur, whose strong passion for politics and crime motivates her to investigate one of the city’s most debated cases.

Is being a journalist a difficult job? She responds, “I truly believe that prior to the rise of social media, journalists had an incredibly challenging job. Discovering stories when information was not instantly accessible required them to exert much more effort. Nowadays, with social media, that dynamic has altered. The hard work has shifted to 'fingerwork' now, and we attempt to gather all the information via our phones instead of actually reaching out and verifying. . . what is lacking these days is the process of fact-checking. It can't solely be based on hearsay. The individual must really verify whether the event even occurred. There is an overwhelming rush for breaking news with numerous platforms competing to be first. But did the event actually happen? Based on my own experience, I've noticed that negative news spreads much more rapidly than positive news. Once misinformation goes viral and causes turmoil, later, even when we confirm that the information was incorrect, that clarification does not receive the same attention. It is a very unfortunate era we are in, where we rush forward without caring to look back at all. ”

Swastika discusses her own personal journey as an actor and how she has witnessed this transformation. She states, “When I began my career 25 years ago, there was a filter for sensible, sensitive, responsible journalists regarding what should be made public and what should not. There was an element of respect and accountability, but today, where we find ourselves, nobody cares whether what is being written is responsible enough. I believe today’s competition is about who can unveil more garbage. It also exerts such pressure on all of us, where one has to contemplate 5000 times before saying or writing something, as my words can be misconstrued. ”

‘We are living in a very chaotic, pathetic time’

The actor shares two particular instances. “In a recent interview, I had jokingly mentioned that my daughter and sister are enormous fans of Jeet (the two actors had a brief relationship years ago) and they admire him greatly… my daughter continually tells me that she won't forgive me for not being with him. Now the outlets that have covered this claim that my daughter disapproves of my decision to leave Jeet. Additionally, there are comments where people are criticizing me and stating that I didn’t deserve it. What I expressed in the interview and what made it to the headlines… there is no connection,” she states.

Swastika refers to another example, mentioning, “Another case was when Anirban Bhattacharya and I were at an event, where we were reading letters authored by great figures. Then one portal featured my and Anirban’s picture and selected a line from the letter that expressed heartbreak and love. In an instant, people began to insult both of us, not realizing that the quote wasn’t even mine! It was directed to Rabindranath Tagore. Nobody read the article, and we both were criticized for something that we had no involvement with. We are in a chaotic, unfortunate, and troubling time where I feel that as journalists, people are neglecting their fundamental responsibilities. ”

She continues, “As I portray an investigative journalist in Durgapur Junction, I felt that the role entails significant pressure, a lot of people-pleasing, where you can’t express this or that, yet you don’t wish to compromise your principles. Still, she is determined to follow that story. Ushashie doesn’t even receive support from her husband—he is annoyed and tells her that she is merely doing a job. What is the purpose of protesting? Therefore, I am certain that many individuals are experiencing the same struggle where they wish to voice something, and they are being told to remain silent. ”

The actor was among the few Tollywood personalities who voiced their dissent during last year’s RG Kar case in Kolkata. “It is true that threats do arise and we miss out on opportunities. The small group that genuinely stood up during the RG Kar incident faced significant repercussions. This is indeed the reality, the fear of losing work… we are concerned that it will impact our family, one’s safety is at risk. It is a considerable cost to bear,” she concludes.

Durgapur Junction also features Vikram Chatterjee and Ekavali Khanna. The film hits theaters today.

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