Bochhorer Best: where history and youth team up -

Governor Dhankar presents the award instituted by ABP Digital to Ditipriya Roy of ‘Rani Rashmoni’ fame at Raj Bhavan

Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar with Ditipriya Roy, the recipient of ABP Digital’s first ‘Bochhorer Best’ award, at Raj Bhavan in Calcutta on Friday. Amit Datta

Ramona Sen   |   TT   |   Calcutta  |    15.01.21 :  Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar took the "unique opportunity to welcome a 228-year-old legend to the 218-year-old Raj Bhavan" on Friday while presenting the first “Bochhorer Best” award, instituted by ABP Digital to identify and crown the Person of the Year.

The “legend in question was Ditipriya Roy, the young actress who has been essaying the role of Rani Rashmoni for over 3 years and more than 1,170 episodes on Zee Bangla's Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni.

"I started shooting for the serial before my class 10 board exams, and they said we would be done in three months. By the time I gave my class 12 board exams, I was growing old on the set and had grandchildren running around," smiled Ditipriya, clearly overwhelmed by the grand occasion.

To make it even more grand for the teenager, Tollywood stars Prosenjit and Paoli Dam joined Ditipriya on stage for a quick session of "gyaan and gaan" (sage advice from Prosenjit and a song with Paoli).

Tolly stars Prosenjit and Paoli Dam joins Ditipriya for a session of ‘gyaan and gaan’.

Amit Datta

Prosenjit advised the young actress to not burn herself out on television and to hold back for a career in films. Paoli, on the other hand, joined Ditipriya in humming a couple of lines from the song Kalankini Radha.

This was followed by Tolly star Dev engaging in a fun session on films and "anything but politics" with the Governor. The exchange between the Trinamul MP and one of the fiercest critics of the Trinamul government in West Bengal was marked by easy humour and refreshing candour.

The first such award ceremony in Bengal, attended by leading lights from culture and industry, was the brainchild of ABP Digital led by Editor Emeritus Aveek Sarkar, who thanked the Governor for "opening the doors of Raj Bhavan" for this unique event.

Actor and Trinamul MP Dev engages Governor Dhankar in a fun session on films.

Amit Datta

Dhankhar, in turn, felt that such occasions celebrating and championing cultural achievements was just what Bengal needed.

The evening -- with Esha Dutta as emcee -- clearly belonged to a 19-year-old playing everything from a child bride to a feisty widow who left a deep imprint on Bengal and our collective consciousness some 200 years ago. 

"I am truly blessed to be receiving this award at such a historic venue, in the presence of such stalwarts of society. People's appreciation had made all the hard work worthwhile for the past three years, but this award makes me feel that I must do a lot more," said Ditipriya Roy, much better known as Rani Rashmoni in several households in Bengal where she is a constant presence every evening.