Did politics manipulate 'sweet actor' Tapas Pal, wonders director Aparna Sen

Expressing disbelief at Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal's alleged remarks threatening to kill CPI(M) workers and have their women raped, eminent director Aparna Sen today wondered whether jumping into politics had changed the nature of the "sweet" actor.

"I am shocked and stunned. This is not the Tapas Pal I knew for so long. He was a sweet boy and we had worked together in some films. We had good relations and he was gentle. I used to like him," Sen, the National Award winning director, said.

She said she was unable to relate the Tapas Pal whom she knew as an actor and the new Tapas Pal whom she was now seeing as a political leader.

"Does one change like this after getting into politics? I don't know how can this happen," Sen said. 

Former city mayor and High Court lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya said the police must lodge a case against Pal for provoking people to break the law.

"His comment proves that not all people belonging from the cultural and film world have very high moral standards. The state government and the police must now file a case against him for provoking people to break the law," he said.