After the critically acclaimed Nobel Chor, director Suman Ghosh has reunited with Mithun Chakraborty for his next film, Kabuliwala. “I share a bond with Mithunda not only as an actor and director but personally as well. Mithunda is an emotion for me,” said Suman, who has started shooting from August 1.

Mithun has slipped into the role of the friendly, warm Afghan from Rabindranath Tagore’s short story ‘Kabuliwala’ who makes a living selling dry fruit on the streets of Kolkata and strikes up a friendship with five-year-old Mini.

“The thought of making Kabuliwala crystallised in me about five-six years back. I was very adamant about the fact that I wanted to make the film with Mithunda. But he was out of action and not doing films as he was not well. I conceived the character of Rahmat with Mithunda in mind,” said Suman, who has recently finished working on his film Searching for Happiness.

“Two years back, I went to Bombay when I was making my Hindi film. I thought I would just drop by to meet Mithunda. He immediately agreed to meet me. He was shooting for a non-fiction show with Karan Johar and Parineeti Chopra. I asked him if he wanted to do Bengali films. He said if there was anything interesting, he would. But if I had something, he could never say no. Then I floated the idea that I wanted to make Kabuliwala,” Suman added.

Tapan Sinha’s 1957 cinematic adaptation of Tagore’s short story — starring Chhabi Biswas as Rahmat, the Kabuliwala — remains a landmark in Bengali cinema. Sinha’s Kabuliwala was remade in Hindi by Hemen Gupta in 1961, where Balraj Sahni played the title role.

In 2006, Bangladeshi director Kazi Hayat made yet another adaptation, Kabuliwala.

For Mithun, who is known to turn on his magic in complex roles, the character of Kabuliwala has universal appeal. “Regarding my portrayal of Rahmat in Kabuliwala, I anticipate a deeply emotional journey. The character’s unwavering affection and strong bond with Mini evokes profound nostalgia and resonates with audiences,” said Mithun.

Indraadip Dasgupta is composing the music for Suman’s film, produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, which is targeting a Christmas release.