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Mimi Chakraborty tries to shed star dust on poll canvass trail

KOLKATA: Addressing 5,000-odd party workers and residents at her first election campaign and party meet in the city, at Tollygunge , Mimi Chakraborty urged party supporters not to treat her as an actor from outside, but as someone who has spent several years of her life at that very neighbourhood.


“During my serial and modelling days, I was staying at a rented flat at Ashoknagar Bazar, just a few blocks from this very ground.

So, I know a lot of people here and I am sure many know me too,” Mimi said, addressing the crowd at Shantinagar football ground.


Since her name was announced by Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee earlier this month, Mimi has attended two party meets — at Baruipur and Amtala — while wrapping up her hectic shooting schedule by last Sunday. She told TOI last week that she was barely getting three hours’ sleep.

“When my name was announced, I asked Didi if I would be able to do the job. Didi placed a hand on my head and said I will win. I just wish I get the same blessing and love from you all,” she said, all the while smiling and waving at the congregation.

Tollygunge has been a tricky legislative assembly area for Trinamool in the last Lok Sabha election, as it was the sixth of the seven assembly seats that comprise the Jadavpur constituency. Even during the 2016 Vidhan Sabha election, Aroop Biswas won with a thin margin, contesting from Tollygunge. “We need to better the previous results. Mimi is not just an actor. She is a sensible and compassionate human being who had herself chased a car that had run over a biker near Tegharia in 2016 and got the drunk violators arrested and saved the life of the injured biker by taking her to the hospital. That’s Mimi for you,” said Biswas, introducing her to the crowd.

Dressed in a sky blue salwar kameez and chanderi dupatta, Mimi walked inside the football ground at 6.40pm, waving at the crowd that began cheering at the first sight of the actor. She also happily obliged to selfie demands, photo-ops and even hummed a few lines of “Kano je toke pahara dilo mon”, from her latest release ‘Mon Jane Na’.

“I am here just to have a look at her from up close,” said Trinamool worker Sandip Das, who drives an auto for a living. “I managed to get two photos and in one of them, she is smiling at my camera. It’s a little hazy but never mind.”

Another fan, second-year college student headed for tuitions, made a beeline for the ground once she learned Mimi was there. “I missed the class but I got her on Facebook Live. That’s enough to earn bragging rights among friends,” said Ashoknagar resident Ipsita Chatterjee.

Mimi said she was elated by the presence of so many women. “It’s great to see so many women here. Women empowerment is what our leader, Mamata Banerjee, stresses on and I am happy so many of them are here to support me,” she said.

Her thoughts about the opposition? “May the best person win. I wish all of them my best,” she said with folded hands.

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