Rappa Roy O Fullstop Dot Com brings a cult bengali comic-hero to the big screen

They say patience bears fruit and for generations of Bengali comic readers, that fruit has finally ripened on the big screen. Created by Sujog Bandyopadhyay, the cult comic character Rappa Roy makes his first full-length cinematic appearance in Rappa Roy O Fullstop Dot Com, directed by debutant filmmaker Dhiman Barman.

Set in recent Kolkata, the story follows Rappa Roy (Arpan Ghoshal), a fearless young cartoonist with the instincts of an investigative journalist. His sharp cartoons unsettle those in power, much to the irritation of his editor at Dainik Jayadhwaja.

Then his life intersects with actress Dolphin Ganguly (Alivia Sarkar) and aspiring filmmaker Tony Ghoshal (Debashis Roy), Rappa finds himself drawn into a dangerous confrontation with a shadowy crime syndicate known as ‘Fullstop Dot Com’, a group that doesn’t just threaten, but “fullstops” its enemies for good.

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Leap from comic strip to cinema is never easy

Arpan Ghoshal, who plays Rappa Roy, recalls how suddenly the role came to him. “Rappa Roy came to me as a sudden opportunity, and I immediately said yes — because playing a character from Bengali comics is a rare privilege in our industry,” he recalled. “The kindness, warmth, and support my co-actors showed me were truly exceptional.”

Veteran actor Shantilal Mukherjee, as Rappa’s father, delivers one of the film’s most endearing performances, while Rajatava Dutta’s suave turn as the syndicate head adds weight. Rahul Banerjee as the opportunistic Laltu Mondal and Sujan Mukherjee as a lecherous minister further flesh out the film’s political underbelly.

Sabyasachi Chowdhury, donning Chilli, shared, “The character Chilli is quite quirky and relatively new for me… portraying Chilli was different, a hardcore anarchist holds his roots with his family.”

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Director Dhiman Barman describes the film as a learning curve. “Directing a movie is a problem-solving exercise. Things do not go according to plan always.” Drawing inspiration from graphic novels, he aimed to balance fidelity with reinvention. “I wanted to portray a middle-class normal guy becoming a super-hero without having any magical super-power.”

Rappa Roy O Fullstop Dot Com, released on December 5, is running successfully at your nearest big screens.