Rituparna, Rahul Bose in PeeCee's first Bengali production

This year, her maiden Marathi production, Ventilator, won three National Awards. Not one to sit on her laurels, Priyanka Chopra announced her Sikkimese venture, Pahuna, recently . The trailer was launched at Cannes '17. And now, the actress, whose prime focus is on regional cinema, is all set with her first Bengali film. Directed by Bibhash Mukherjee, the film titled Brishtir Opekkhaye stars Rituparna Sengupta, Rahul Bose and Parno Mittra.

Speaking from Cannes, Priyanka's mother, Madhu, said, "The easiest thing for Priyanka would be to produce a Hindi film. But she feels that there is a wealth of regional stories that should be made in local languages and showcased to the Indian audience. In that direction, she's already produced a film each in Marathi, Bhojpuri and Punjabi. Now the idea is to explore the Bengali market. Though she keeps very busy , there's 100% involvement in all her productions. From hearing the synopsis to the narration and screenplay , she stays completely clued in.

Once the project is green-lit, she doesn't get involved any further as she feels every film is the director's baby." Bibhash, who is from Ajmer, is currently based out of Mumbai. The adman has roots in Bengal and was certain about making his first full-length feature film in Bengali.

Brishtir Opekkh aye is based on Sirshendu Mukhopadh yay's famous yay's famous story, Bus Stop-e Keu Nei. Screenplay and dialogues are by the director, while music has been scored by Mumbai-based composer Riju Roy . Bibhash, excited about his directorial debut, said, " At a time when we think about running away from relationships, this film comes as a breath of fresh air. It's about coming home, not going away . Brishtir Opekkhaye deals with the true meaning of relationships. Both Rituparna and Rahul were my first choice for the film, as I am an ardent admirer of their work."



Rituparna, who met Priyanka at her recent bash in Mumbai, is gung-ho about the film. "The character has many shades.There's melancholy on the one hand and exuberance on the other. Also, she's faced with the dilemma of being in relationships. The character is expected to bring out the nuances of married life. I found the story lyrical and was hooked on it the first time I heard it," she said. All praise for Priyanka, she added, "She is a global icon with her heart in the right place. I am glad that she is taking interest in regional cinema." Rituparna, who had worked with Rahul Bose in Anuranan, waxed eloquent about him. "He is one of the most competent actors I know."

Parno has been signed for an important part. Helming the coproduction is the father-son duo of Ashok and Himanshu Dhanuka.

"It's a prestigious project that we wanted to associate with," said Himanshu. The film will go on the floors on August 1 and will be shot in Mumbai and Kolkata.