Winkle Twinkle is a 2026 Bengali-language political drama film directed and written by Srijit Mukherji. It is based on the play of the same name written by actor and playwright Bratya Basu. The film, produced by Firdausul Hasan under the banner of Friends Communication stars Ritwick Chakraborty and Parambrata Chatterjee in the lead roles. Later, Rajashree Productions collaborated with Communications to produce the film. In November 2024, Mukherji shared a poster for the film showing a broken statue of Vladimir Lenin with two actors sitting in front of it. Winkle Twinkle is one of Mukherji's films adapted from dramas, with his previous film adapting the play Julius Caesar. The film was distributed in Bengal by PVR Inox Pictures in theaters.
The film revolves around a father named Sabyasachi Sen and a son named Indra. It primarily focuses on Sen who disappears from police custody in January 1976, and later "reappears like Rip Van Winkle to find a completely transformed world and family." A teaser for the film lasting 1 minute 26 seconds was released on July 30, 2026. Winkle Twinkle is set for a release on September 4, 2026. A song for it was recorded by Shreya Ghoshal and Tamalika Golder. The film's shooting started some time after November 25, 2024 and was wrapped up by January 26, 2025. Several comments about the roles, plot and theme of it were issued by the director, actors and producer.
It was heard in mid-2023 that Srijit Mukherji would acquire the rights of the play by Bratya Basu and direct it into a film. However, the announcement of the film was made in November 2024 along with the caption that shooting would be started very soon. Basu commented that he had faith in Mukherji despite that his play was for the theater. Later, Anashua Majumdar and Angana Roy were stated to be included in the film cast. In December 2024, Shreya Ghoshal and Tamalika Golder recorded a song which Mukherji posted about on social media. Another song named "Na Thaka Priyo" from the film was released on YouTube focusing on the central theme of it and love, emotions. A new poster for the film was put out in April 2026 showing a blood bag with two bridges. The movie was originally set for release in January 2026.
Background The play Winkle Twinkle was written by Bratya Basu in 2002. The play portrays political conflict between a father who is ethical and upright and a son, who is unhesitant to compromise for his own benefit. In the same year Debesh Chattopadhyay adapted the play into a stage production with his own theater group. The play focused on Sabyasachi Sen who disappeared from police custody in 1976 and found himself 26 years later in 2002 standing against his son Indra on opposite political grounds.
Plot Sabyasachi Sen is a communist leader who is on the run from police, but manages to hide inside a factory where he falls asleep on the same day, in 1976. 26 years later, in 2002, a tea stall is installed in front of a former factory, where Ranjan and others chat and drink tea. Sabyasachi appears in front of Ranjan appearing to be unaware and oblivious of the world and his surroundings, believing that the year is still 1976. After making comments with Ranjan, he heads for his home in Jadavpur. On the way, he comes across some places that were under construction or nonexistent in 1976, getting confused as to how they were fully finished.
Sen talks with a tea stall owner and cannot believe how he has aged so much and also has no idea what a mobile phone is. Inside Sen's house, Indra and his sister have minor altercations after which they go to eat food served by their mother, Rajlokkhi. While they are in the middle of their lunch, Sabyasachi suddenly appears in front of them. Rajlokkhi feels emotional to have Sabyasachi back with them, who they believed died in 1976. A flashback of scenes of Rajlokkhi and Sabyasachi are shown in which they collaborate in communist movements. Indra leaves the house afterwards believing that Sen could not be alive and this was not his father.
Sabyasachi Sen has talks with Rajlokkhi (his wife) and Indra's sister (his daughter). They explain their identities to him since his daughter was not born when he disappeared and Indra was very small. Later Rajlokkhi and Sen talk privately about past events and new things and activities which have emerged after 26 years. While all the family members eat, Indra confronts Sen about disbeliefs he held believing that it was still 1976 and inform him that communism had a large downfall with Soviet Union falling in 1992. Indra goes to a club where he is revealed to be a member of the political party Trinamool Congress.
He sees flashback moments on the walls about when Rajlokkhi and he did work together for the Communist party. Amidst Sabyasachi's participation in a movement, he openly supports communism and stops his father's car, after which his father disowns him. Rajlokkhi comforts him in present time saying that his father missed him and regretted letting Sen go. Later, Sanat, a rich political leader who worked with Sen in previous times visits him; they exchange talks during a morning walk. Sanat sends Sen, his wife, and daughter to a public interview with a news anchor in which his daughter and wife speak but Sen refuses to talk about the matter.
Indra comes back home at night and conversates with Sanat about their political affiliations, parties and ideologies. One morning, Sen goes to a rural-type area to pay a visit to Rajen and Bithi, his associates. Rajen sees Sen and comments that he has not changed in age of appearance, renouncing his belief that he died in 1976. He spends the day at his home conversating with him about their past involvements. Indra goes to a club office. In a scene, Sabyasachi is seen in a snowy, mountainous biome with Joseph Stalin.
Indra comes home drunk at night, confronting his father and raising questions about Sabyasachi's beliefs. Sen talks about how he made a young Indra fall asleep by singing a song. He blames the reason of his ruination and downfall on Sen's homecoming. They together go on a walk on a road overpass at midnight. After talking for a while, Indra takes out a handgun belonging to Sen and points at him. The lights suddenly go off and Sen sings the same song he used to sing when Indra was young. Indra shoots in the air and breaks down, finally believing that this was his real father, leaving the area shortly. Some time later, Sen wakes up from beside the road sidewalk and takes a taxi to his home in Jadavpur.
Cast Sources:
Ritwick Chakraborty as Sabyasachi Sen Parambrata Chatterjee as Indra Anashua Majumdar as Rajlokkhi Sen Sohini Sarkar as young Rajlokkhi Angana Roy as Indrani Sen Rajatava Dutta as Ranjan Debesh Chattopadhyay as Sanat Unmesh Ganguly (cameo) Satrajit Sarkar as Rajen Bhadra Basu as Bithi, wife of Rajen Sandip Bhattacharya as Joseph Stalin Moupia Nandy as a news anchor Partha Bhowmick
Production and development
Announcements, songs and teaser In mid-2023, it was heard that Srijit Mukherji might acquire rights to Bratya Basu's play to start and direct a film on it. Winkle Twinkle was confirmed to be made a real film in November 2024, with statements made by him. Mukherji released a poster in the same month with announcements that the film shooting would be starting very soon. It was speculated in the late-2023 that Anirban Bhattacharya might be playing a role in it, which was later proven false with the official names of the actors given out. Besides, it was reported by Sangbad Pratidin that Angana Roy will play the role of Indra's sister and Anashua Majumdar would also play a role inside it.
Srijit Mukherji confirmed that he would be directing and later releasing a new film based on a play by Bratya Basu on November 24, 2026, the day on which the film poster was released. The poster showed the symbol of hammer and sickle, along with a broken statue of Lenin with two people sitting in front of it, whose faces were not then revealed. Sources stated that Ritwick Chakraborty and Parambrata Chatterjee would be playing the lead roles, along with Anashua Majumdar and Angana Roy to play as actors. Bratya Basu said that his play Winkle Twinkle was written primarily for theaters. However he showed optimism about the upcoming film, "I am feeling happy. Even though I am quite skeptical, since this play was written mainly for theaters. However, I believe in Srijit. With his talent, he will be able to give Winkle Twinkle its own cinematic language." Producer Firdausul Hasan during this time bought the rights to the film. He stated that although the film is a political drama, it is an adaptation. The shooting was to start from January 2025.
On December 10, 2024, Mukherji posted pictures on social media from a recording studio remarking that singers Shreya Ghoshal and Tamalika Golder had recorded a song for the film. This recording followed his first poster release in November. Before the film, Ghoshal sung "Baundule Ghuri" for Mukherji's film Dawsham Abotaar in 2023. Golder made her singing debut with Mukherji's web series Durga Rohoshyo. A song was later released named "Na Thaka Priyo", although initially not suggested by Mukherji's post.
"Na Thaka Priyo" was another song from Winkle Twinkle, with lyrics by Srimoy Bhattacharya, music by Tamalika Golder, and vocals by Rapurna Bhattacharya. The song's theme describes the undying love between two lovers despite their physical distance. Piya Roy of The Telegraph wrote, "Na thaka priyo highlights how the bonds of true love and the memories of a beautiful and meaningful shared past can never fade away even when the lovers are physically distant from each other." The music video showed a family navigating through hardships of life, with the song pointing towards the grief, emotions and different ideologies of the members. With alignment to the theme of the film, the track indicates the pain of absence, the lover's memories, grief and emotional connection.
On April 23, 2026, Mukherji unveiled a new poster for Winkle Twinkle following his posting of a new poster for Emperor vs Sarat Chandra. The new film poster showed a blood bag where green color or blood mixed with red blood, with dense clouds in the background and the presence of Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu, the two bridges connecting Howrah with Kolkata. On the top, it was written that it was based on Bratya Basu's play. Names of the actors were written on different sides of the film poster.
A teaser for the film was released on July 30, 2026, offering glimpses to the upcoming film, a deeply moving drama centered on conflicts. The production companies commented: "Winkle Twinkle follows a man who returns to his family after decades of absence, setting off emotional fragmentation and bringing unresolved histories to the surface. While set against a political backdrop, the film is essentially a deeply personal story that explores the passage of time, generational divide, and the burden of one's convictions."
A trailer for Winkle Twinkle was released on August 27, 2026, by the production companies Friends Communication and Rajashree Productions. It showed the conflict between Sabyasachi and Indra along with several other scenes, along with other characters and crew listed in credits in the description. It further confirmed the roles of the actors. It generated popularity in Tollygunge as well as the general public and audience.
Actor comments and Bratya Basu's play