2 Bengali films released during Christmas bring back movie buffs to theatres in large numbers

2 Bengali films released during Christmas bring back movie buffs to theatres in large numbers

The two films are Suman Ghosh-directed ‘Kabuliwala’ and Atanu Roy Choudhury-produced ‘Pradhan’.

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National award-winning filmmaker Ghosh’s ‘Kabuliwala’ is an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's short story of the same name.

Since December 22, the film has already earned over ₹1 crore in revenue and is currently running in 66 theatres in Bengal, including both single screens and multiplexes, according to a source from the production house.

The film, which stars Mithun Chakraborty and explores the bond between a father who leaves his young daughter in faraway Kabul and discovers a resemblance to his daughter in a little girl in the city, has been consistently sold out since December 22. The film will be released nationwide on December 29.

Atanu Roy Choudhury’s ‘Pradhan’ has been released in 111 theatres. The film's first-week collection has surpassed all previous records for recent Bengali film releases during Christmas. The film, which stars Bengali superstar Dev and is also co-produced by him, focuses on corruption.

Choudhury expressed his satisfaction with the film's performance, saying it has exceeded his expectations. Many theatres have had sold-out shows, while others have had an occupancy rate of over 60 per cent in most screenings.

Director Suman Ghosh expressed happiness with the large turnout for both ‘Kabuliwala’ and ‘Pradhan’ despite facing tough competition from the Hindi blockbuster ‘Dunki’ starring Shah Rukh Khan.

During 2020-2021, with theatres operating at 50 per cent capacity, film releases had lower turnouts, and the OTT platforms dominated during Durga Puja-Diwali and Christmas releases.

However, the situation has started to change since 2022, with the release of three Bengali films.