BJP surge in Bengal triggers poriborton among intellectuals, politicians, actors

The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has triggered a swift "poriborton," with intellectuals, actors, and public voices shifting tone within hours of the party getting 207 of 294 seats.

In Short

• BJP wins 207 seats, ending TMC's 15-year rule in West Bengal
• Some Bengali actors seen close to TMC speak openly against govt
• Newsrooms adopt sharper questioning and revise editorial lines

The BJP’s surge in West Bengal has triggered a swift poriborton (change) beyond politics, rippling through intellectuals, actors and public voices almost overnight. Within hours of the Assembly election results on May 4, where the BJP is set to form its first government in the state by winning 207 seats, tone, posture and alignments began shifting.

The victory, which ends the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule, has not just redrawn West Bengal’s political map but reset the mood of its wider ecosystem.

Even before a chief minister is named, the state appears to be recalibrating – its studios, civil society and newsrooms are already adjusting to a new centre of power.

TOLLYWOOD SPEAKS BUT IN A NEW VOICE

The Bengali film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, has always moved with the political tide. Only now has the tide turned.

Actors who once chose their words carefully are suddenly more candid. Some are recalling how work dried up if you didn’t fall in line. Others are eager to underline that they were never “aligned” in the first place. The familiar industry divide – who gets work and who doesn’t – hasn’t disappeared. It has just changed direction.

Even veteran stars like Prosenjit Chatterjee are saying they remain distant from any political affiliation.

There’s also a quiet rush of old grievances finding daylight. Stories of exclusion, pressure and silent blacklisting are being shared, almost as if the result has given them clearance.

Actor Parambrata Chatterjee, who was close to the TMC and formally joined the party barely a month ago, now appears to be striking a more measured note. In a recent interview, he said anti-incumbency after 15 years in power was natural, while also acknowledging that strong-arm tactics and corruption by some leaders hurt the TMC government’s image despite its work.

A similar shift is visible in actor Saurav Das, who spoke about being sidelined, losing work and dealing with mental stress in a detailed social media post, describing the personal and professional strain it caused.

Former Uttarpara MLA and actor Kanchan Mullick has also raised questions about decisions within the TMC and the sidelining of senior leaders. His actor-wife Sreemoyee Chattoraj has said he now plans to stay away from politics and focus on acting, despite reported outreach from the BJP.

Bengali singer Silajit Majumder, meanwhile, signalled the changing mood with a social media post in saffron attire.

INTELLECTUALS REDISCOVER NEUTRALITY

Bengal’s civil society has seen this before. It helped script past changes. Now, it is adjusting again.

Writers, artists and public thinkers who were seen close to the TMC government are suddenly careful with labels. Some insist they were never formally tied to any party. Others have simply gone quiet.

One such name is Kabir Suman. He made it clear that he is not a member of the TMC and does not consider himself its supporter. According to him, he has never been affiliated with any political party. Several other prominent names were approached during the course of this report, but they could not be reached for comment.

The recalibration is subtle but visible. The language has softened. The certainty has faded.

NEWSROOMS REWRITE THEIR TONE OVERNIGHT

If there is one place where the shift is impossible to miss, it is the media.

For years, questions were often selective. Now, everybody is asking questions. Anchors are sharper. Editorial lines are shifting. Even the look and feel of debates is changing, from panels to phrasing.

Some journalists who were accused of being too close to the TMC are now facing pushback from within their own fraternity. There are calls for scrutiny, even demands to examine financial links and professional conduct.

It’s not just a change of government. It’s a change of newsroom instinct.

ON THE GROUND, A SCRAMBLE FOR NEW LOYALTIES

Away from studios and statements, the ground tells its own story.

Violence allegations continue to fly between the BJP and TMC. But alongside that, another trend is emerging, a rush to be seen on the winning side.

BJP leaders, including Dilip Ghosh, have claimed that several individuals previously linked to the TMC are now carrying BJP flags and allegedly engaging in violence. “The faces are the same, only the flags have changed,” he said, pointing to what he described as a rush among people to project themselves as BJP supporters.

Party leaders have cautioned that not everyone making such claims is genuinely associated with the BJP, adding that the process of inducting new members has been put on hold for now following the May 4 results.

A popular Bengali phrase captures the current moment – “ulto kore dekhun, shob bodle gechhe (Look from the other side, everything has changed).”

That’s where Bengal stands today. Some have changed tone. Some have changed sides. Some are still deciding. But the larger story is clear.

Power has shifted and with it, the language of loyalty. The rest is just people catching up.

- Ends