/> Bengali director Anniruddha-Roy Choudhary's debut film Anuranan was released nearly a year ago. To everyone's surprise, including the leading man Rahul Bose, the film is being now being released in Hindi on Jan 18.

Though the director seems pretty pleased with his regional film going national, Rahul Bose is intrigued. "It's like Satyajit Ray's Charulata being dubbed into Hindi. Not that I'm comparing Anuranan with Charulata.

But there're certain themes that render themselves to a specific culture. Anuranan is as Bengali as Charulata.It's the greatest feeling to do justice to a role. I felt that for Anuranan.

But it has already had a 100-day run in Bengal. It was one of the biggest non-commercial hits. That must have prompted the producers Shemaroo to release the Bengali original in some non-Bengal metros and the Hindi version."

Rahul has dubbed for the Hindi version. "I'm glad the Bengalis across the country will get to see Anuranan. It's great to expand the scope of ethnic cinema, like Rituparno Ghosh's Dosor or the Rajnikanth film in Tamil Shivaji.

But as far as the Hindi versions of regional films is concerned, I feel cinema in every language has its own profile and audience. Anuranan is a very non-formulistic film about out-of-marriage friendships.

Which isn't the same thing as an extra-marital affair. Most movies about extra-marital relationships involve sex. In this I share a completely platonic relationship with another woman (Raima Sen).

This film wants to know why a married man can't have a totally platonic friendship. Anuranan is totally non-masala."

Says Rahul, "I've no clue how the Bengali melodrama and poetry of Anuranan translates into Hindi. Even the actor's physicality is affected.

My body language while playing a criminal in Govind Nihalani's Takshak was completely different from this character of the literate Bengali husband in Anuranan. I think this could be an intriguing experiment, specially at this time in the history Hindi cinema when such a variety of work is being done.

I wonder how this idealistic philosophical Bengali would work. I don't know how Hindi moviegoers are going to be react to it, " Rahul ends.