Mumbai, Jan 17 (IANS) Bengali director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's debut film 'Anuranan' was released nearly a year ago. To everyone's surprise, including the leading man Rahul Bose, the film is now being released in Hindi this Friday. Though the director seems pretty pleased with his regional film going national, the actor is intrigued.

'It's like Satyajit Ray's 'Charulata' being dubbed into Hindi. Not that I'm comparing 'Anuranan' with 'Charulata', but there are certain themes that render themselves to a specific culture. 'Anuranan' is as Bengali as 'Charulata',' Rahul told IANS.

'It's the great 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,' he added.

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 - The Boss'. But as far as the Hindi versions of regional films are concerned, I feel cinema in every language has its own profile and audience.'

Apart from Rahul, Rajat Kapoor, Raima Sen and Rituparna Sengupta play the leads in the film, which is about two couples looking for their individual identity while maintaining their relationships with their spouses.

'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.'

Rahul says he has no idea 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 of 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.'