A director who could tap the full potential of Tulsi Chakraborty must have considered himself to be extremely priviledged. For, here was an actor who betrayed the most difficult of expressions with utmost ease. Almost as if he was swatting a fly with a flicker of his palm. He was not good-looking. No, he was anything but attractive or handsome. He was already middle-aged by the time top Bengali directors had started toying with his expertise, he had a huge paunch, he was balding and his face was perfectly clownish. But it was his eyes, his voice and his expressions that conjured up an aura filled with chuckles, amazement and full-throated laughter. Even when the director was making a tongue-in-cheek comment on some insufferable plagues of society, Tulsi Chakraborty drove home the point in such a hilarious manner that you would guffaw and ponder, both at the same time. I often marvel at this man, how effortless he portrayed those special roles. Or was it the other way round? Special roles were created by the film writers because he could essay them with ease. Well, we'd never get to solve the mystery...
