Not one, not two, but five big budget Bengali films will clash with each other on October 16. Due to the fact that not many Bengali films have done well this year, a lot is riding on these films.
Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji’s ambitious project Rajkahini, Raj Chakraborty’s travelogue Katmundu, Birsa Dasgupta’s Shudhu Tomari Jonyo, Anjan Dutt’s Byomkesh Bakshi film Kohen Kabi Kalidas and Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha’s Cross Connection 2 will fight it out at the box office this month.
Watch: Cross Connection 2 trailer
National Award-winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherji’s film on Partition, which stars Rituparna Sengupta, Abir Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Lily Chakraborty, Sudipta Chakraborty, Parno Mittra to name a few, has been in news ever since the filmmaker announced it. Mukherji says, “Five films are releasing on Durga Puja. It’s like a Bengali film festival. I am happy that it’s happening but I am also making sure that Rajkahini’s presence is felt.”
{{/usCountry}}National Award-winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherji’s film on Partition, which stars Rituparna Sengupta, Abir Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Lily Chakraborty, Sudipta Chakraborty, Parno Mittra to name a few, has been in news ever since the filmmaker announced it. Mukherji says, “Five films are releasing on Durga Puja. It’s like a Bengali film festival. I am happy that it’s happening but I am also making sure that Rajkahini’s presence is felt.”
{{/usCountry}}Birsa has teamed up with actor Dev for the first time for Shudhu Tomari Jonyo. The director hopes that Dev’s fan-base will do wonders for the film. Dasgupta is keeping his fingers crossed that all five films work at the box office. It would boost the financial health of the Bengali film industry, he says.
Watch: Shudhu Tomari Jonyo trailer
Actor Mimi Chakraborty, who will be seen in Shudu Tomari Jonyo and Katmundu, believes Durga Puja is the best time to watch films. “(Durga) Puja is a time when everyone wants to release their best film. All I can say is the audience should go to the theatres and watch the film,” she smiles.
For actor Jisshu Sengupta, whose films Rajkahini and Byomkesh Bakshi’s Kohen Kabi Kalidas, will clash at the theaters, the audience will be spoilt for choice this festive season. “The platter is full. We will be dishing out all kind of films. This is an exciting time for Bengali cinema. I hope all the five films do well and generate revenue for the film industry,” he says.
Watch: Rajkahini trailer
Meanwhile, industry experts feel it would have been better if a clash could have been avoided. “At the end of the day, content will rule the box office. The audience’s taste has changed and all they look for is content. It doesn’t matter which superstar is cast. It would have been better if the films had released separately,” says a producer, who didn’t want to be named.