Tollywood’s reigning superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee ceremonially flagged off Eastern India’s most coveted TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) Rally from the Acropolis Mall in Kolkata on Saturday evening in the presence of West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Director General Sri Jagmohan.
The 250 kilometre rally will start from Country Roads at Panchla in Howrah district at 7.30 am on Sunday and traverse through rural and dirt roads in Howrah and East Midnapore districts to conclude at the popular seaside retreat of Digha at around 3 pm. The prize distribution ceremony, to be graced by Tamluk Lok Sabha MP Dibyendu Adhikary, is scheduled to be held at Digha at 8 pm on Sunday.
Prosenjit-starrer ‘Yeti Abhijaan’, an adventure-thriller slated for a Puja release, is the prime partner of the rally. Prosenjit, who plays the role of the amiable detective ‘Kakababu’ in the film, said at the flag-off ceremony: “The character of Kakababu is adventurous by nature and the association with Monsoon Drive 6, an adventure motorsport event, emphasizes the true grit and character of Bengal’s quintessential detective.” He wished the organisers and competitors of Monsoon Drive 6 all the best and hoped that Kakababu’s return to the silver screen will be a great success.
Sri Jagmohan, referring to the ‘SAFE DRIVE SAVE LIFE’ campaign promoted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said: “TSD Car Rallies promote safe driving skills and habits among competitors and this goes in a long way in preventing accidents and casualties on the roads”. He thanked the organisers for adopting ‘SAFE DRIVE SAVE LIFE’ as the motto of the rally.
As many as 28 drivers and their navigator partners from all across the country are participating in this Rally, which is going to test their driving as well as navigation skills. Some of the top contenders expected to be in the title hunt will be in reigning national champions Sk. Ajgar Ali and Md. Musthafa (winners of Desert Storm 2017), Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta (winners of Dakshin Dare),veteran rallyists Jogendra Jaiswal, Sandip Mukherjee , Sumit Mukherjee as well as champion navigators from South India Prakash Muthuswamy and Nagarajan Thangaraj are participating in the prestigious rally.
The first 5 editions of Monsoon Drive held in 2012 , 2013, 2014 ,2015 and 2016 were huge successes. These events have gone a long way in popularizing TSD Rallying in the Eastern Region. The 250 kilometer-long rally through the dirt terrain landscapes of Howrah and Purba Medinipur districts can be very tricky and is a Navigator’s challenge. It is expected to be a challenging event that will test man and machine to the maximum. It is also to be noted that the Government of West Bengal, especially the Police Administrations of Kolkata, Howrah Rural and Purba Medinipur have provided enthusiastic support to this Rally.
Power Drive 