Lia Chang
Samrat Chakrabarti Photo by Lia Chang
Last year, Chakrabarti’s talents were on display in three films at the Festival. He created the score for Sundaram Tagor’s documentary The Poetics of Color: Natvar Bhavsar, and had roles in Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City opposite Radha Mitchell and Joel Edgerton, and in Ajay Naidu’s Ashes.
Chakrabarti was named one of the Fresh Faces at TIFF by thestar.com, for his role as Krishna in Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City, after the film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2009. Linda Barnard of thestar.com wrote, “The high point of The Waiting City, about an Australian couple in Calcutta to adopt a child, is the lively and hilarious performance of Samrat Chakrabarti as Krishna, a meddlesome worker at the hotel where the Aussies stay. Befriending them and inserting himself into their lives, he digs out their secrets and gives unsolicited advice, in what seems like a typical Bollywood comic turn by an Indian actor.”
The Waiting City will be released on DVD on May 31, 2011, by Entertainment One.
Samrat Chakrabarti © Lia Chang
Samrat Chakrabarti is the recipient of the 2010 TMG Award for Global Achievers in the category of Film, TV and Drama, for his outstanding body of work as an actor. Chakrabarti’s film credits include Italo Spinelli’s Gangor, Shilpa Sunthankar’s Seeta’s Demon, Joseph Mathew’s Bombay Summer, Kabir Khan’s New York, Shailja Gupta’s Walkaway, Bruce Leddy’s Sing Now, Sai Selvarajan’s Joy Lies, and Manish Acharya’s Loins of Punjab of Presents alongside Shabana Azmi. He has also had roles in in Spike Lee’s She Hate Me, Leonardo Ricagni’s Indocumentados, Jonathan Betzler’s Homecoming, Manan Katahora’s Arya, and Joseph Castelo’s The War Within which was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award. In addition, he has appeared in Gareeb Nawaz’s Taxi, Robert Harte’s Finding Graceland, Anjaan Dutt’s The Bong Connection with Victor Banerjee, Sarba Das’s Karma Calling, Amyn Kaderali’s Kissing Cousins, Randall Krongard’s Override, Manan Katahora’s Arya and When Kiran Met Karen, Joseph Matthews’ Days of Love and Loss with Tanishtha Chatterjee, Raj Basu’s Piyalir Password and and Suman Ghosh’s Dwando. New films in the can include A.J. Carter’s Extinction, Deepa Mehta’s Winds of Change, Dagen Merrill’s Murder in the Dark, Michael Walker’s Price Check, Richard Atkinson’s Dogs Lie and Salim Khassa’s Desperate Endeavors .
His recent guest starring appearances on TV include “Outsourced” and “In Treatment” (HBO), “30 ROCK” (NBC) and “The Horrible Terrible Misadventures of David Atkins”. Other TV credits include “Law And Order” (NBC), “Bored to Death”, “The Sopranos” (HBO), FX’s “Damages”, “Love Monkey” (CBS) and “Hope and Faith” (ABC). Onstage, he has appeared as Nirad Das in Indian Ink at The Missouri Repertory Theater and Arun in Lingering Voices at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Chakrabarti is also an established international musician and has won numerous awards for his music, including: a U.S. CARA for Best Original Pop/Rock Song, for his composition, “What’s It all About”.
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), is the oldest and most prestigious Indian film festival in the country. NYIFF continues through May, 8, 2011 and tickets are available online at
http://www.iaac.us/nyiff2011/
Rehana Mirza’s ‘Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story’ screens on May 6 at 3:30pm. copyright 2011 Rehana Mirza
Friday, May 6, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 3:30pm
Chakrabarti plays a Muslim groom about to wed a Hindu bride in New Jersey in Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story. When the groom gets a case of cold feet, will the wedding become just another case of religious conflict? Buy Tickets
Soham Mehta’s Fatakra screens on Saturday, May 7 at 6pm. copyright 2011 Soham Mehta
Saturday, May 7, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 6 pm
In Soham Mehta’s Fatakra, Chakrabarti plays Naveen, who left India to chase his dreams in America. Three years and a recession later, his wife and son finally join him. Fatakra (Firecracker) tells the story of the sparks that fly on their first day together as dreams collide with reality. Chakrabarti also composed the score for the film, which has been nominated for a Student Academy Award. Buy Tickets
http://www.sohammehta.com/films/fatakra/
Shiva Shankar Bajpai's ‘Raju’ screens on May 7 at 9pm. Copyright 2011 Shiva Bajpai
Saturday, May 7, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 9.00 pm
Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju stars Paul Calderon, Judy Marte and Chakrabarti as an undocumented immigrant who works for a debt relief agency who must choose between the girl he’s falling for and his work visa.Buy Tickets
http://shivabajpai.com/film.html
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Sixth Annual Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival – Ajay Naidu’s Ashes Screens on May 11 & May 15 in Edgewood, PA
Video: Aroon Shivdasani interviews Samrat Chakrabarti at Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival
11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), May 4-8, 2011
Vikas Khanna’s Holy Kitchens Karma to Nirvana premieres at New York Indian Film Festival on 5/7 at Tribeca Cinemas
MIAAC Screens Ashes & The Waiting City, two films featuring Samrat Chakrabarti at SVA Theater on 11/12/10
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In The Waiting City, the latest offering by Australian director Claire McCarthy, Samrat Chakrabarti portrays Krishna, a hotel worker that an outwardly happy Australian couple, played by Radha Mitchell (Finding Neverland, Pitch Black) and Joel Edgerton (The Square, Star Wars: Episode II & III), befriend when they travel to Kolkata, India, to collect their adopted baby. Upon their arrival, they discover their arrangements have yet to be finalized, and must wait in this chaotic and foreign place. The vulnerability of their marriage begins to reveal itself as the intoxicating powers of the Indian city pull them in separate and unexpected directions. 
