From performing on stage in her hometown—Udaipur in Tripura’s Gomati district-- to stepping into the world of Bengali cinema in Kolkata, Class IX student Sayantika Dhar has taken her first major step into Tollywood with the newly released feature film ‘Ananda Ashram’.
Hailing from Udaipur in Tripura’s Gomati district, Sayantika has made her silver-screen debut in the Bengali family drama, which hit theatres on July 31. Her entry into the film industry has generated excitement in her hometown, while her performance has reportedly drawn appreciation from audiences and members of Kolkata’s film fraternity.
Produced by Maa Durga Production and directed by Ranjan Dutta, Ananda Ashram tells the story of a small orphanage run by an elderly caretaker. The institution comes under threat when a real-estate project backed by a corrupt local MLA seeks to take control of the property. The film follows the struggle of those associated with the orphanage as they attempt to protect it, weaving together family emotions, social resistance and civic awareness.
For Sayantika, the journey to the big screen began unexpectedly in April 2025. She and her family came across a social media advertisement by Maa Durga Production seeking artists. After an initial telephone interaction, she participated in a video audition and was shortlisted.
She was subsequently invited to Kolkata for a photoshoot on April 19, 2025. Her performance impressed the production team, leading to the next stage of her preparation. Sayantika then underwent specialised training related to acting and the film industry at Nandan in Kolkata for around two to three months.
The experience eventually culminated in her debut in Ananda Ashram, where she shared screen space with several established Tollywood names, including Bodhisattwa Majumdar, Kaushik Banerjee, Laboni Sarkar, Shakti Dey and Soma Chakraborty. Young performers Shubhojit Laha and Rittika Mondal are also part of the cast.
The film is based on a story by Amalesh Chatterjee, with music arranged by Sumit Acharya. Its trailer and soundtrack were unveiled at a promotional event at Nandan, Kolkata, attended by playback singers Saptak Bhattacharya and Madhuri Dey, along with other personalities from the Bengali film industry.
Beyond the glamour of the silver screen, Sayantika’s story is also rooted in her academic and extracurricular pursuits. The daughter of late Tripura Police DSP Surjit Dhar and homemaker Rakhi Singh Dhar, she is currently studying in Class IX at Udaipur English Medium School. She has been associated with dance from an early age and has received training in both classical and Western forms.
Her debut has been welcomed with pride in Tripura, particularly in Udaipur, where her journey from a small-town school student to the Bengali film industry has emerged as an encouraging example for other young aspirants.
The film is currently being screened in theatres in Tripura and Kolkata, and Sayantika has reportedly already received offers for upcoming projects.
Yet, there is one disappointment for the young actor — she cannot watch her debut film in her own hometown.
Udaipur currently does not have a cinema hall, meaning residents of the town cannot watch Ananda Ashram on the big screen locally.
“Being a girl from Udaipur, it is disappointing that the film I acted in is not being screened in my own town because there is no cinema hall here,” Sayantika said.
She expressed hope that Udaipur would soon have a cinema hall, allowing local audiences and aspiring young artists to experience films on the big screen without having to travel elsewhere.
For Sayantika, however, the absence of a theatre in her hometown has not diminished the significance of the moment. Her debut has already taken the name of Udaipur from the classroom to the Kolkata film industry — and may be only the beginning of a longer journey in cinema.