Sheikh Arif Bulbon :
As the festival of Eid-ul-Azha approaches, the Bangladeshi film industry is abuzz with anticipation
over this Eid’s movie releases.
Unlike the record-breaking 11 movies released during last Eid-ul-Fitr, industry insiders suggest that the number of new movies hitting the screens this Eid will be significantly lower.
Last Saturday, with only eight films currently slated for release, fans and filmmakers alike are engaged in spirited discussions about which movies will make the final cut and dominate the box office during Eid.
Amidst the uncertainty, several highly anticipated movies including ‘Toofan’, ‘Jongli’, ‘Masud Rana’, and ‘Neel Chakra’ have already secured their spots, promising a mix of thrilling entertainment for audiences.
The movies expected to be released include ‘Toofan’, ‘Neel Chakra’, ‘Jongli’, ‘Masud Rana’, ‘Esha Murder,’ ‘Moyurakkhi,’ ‘Pulsirat,’ and ‘Dark World’.
Among these, ‘Toofan’ has garnered the most attention, followed by ‘Jongli’, ‘Masud Rana’ and ‘Neel Chakra’, which have been widely discussed on social media.
Posters, behind-the-scenes photos, and fan-made art have sparked conversations in various film-related groups on Facebook.
However, the number of releases this Eid-ul-Azha might be lower than expected.
Industry sources believe that the simultaneous release of many movies during Eid-ul-Fitr caused significant losses for many producers due to the scarcity of cinema halls.
Learning from this experience, some producers may choose to avoid the risk, resulting in a possible reduction to just four or five movies being released.
Amongst the confirmed releases are ‘Toofan’, ‘Jongli’, ‘Masud Rana’, ‘Neel Chakra’, ‘Esha Murder’ and ‘Moyurakkhi’.
Regarding ‘Esha Murder’, its director Sunny Sanwar said, “Our shooting is complete, and we are ready for release. The movie will soon be submitted to the censor board.
However, if we face the same situation as Eid-ul-Fitr, with many films competing for screens, we might reconsider our release date.”
The movie stars Azmeri Haque Badhon, Puja Cruze, Sumit Sengupta and Misha Sawdagar.
‘Toofan’ and ‘Jongli’ have also been confirmed for Eid-ul-Azha release.
Shooting of ‘Toofan’ began in India last month and is ongoing. The movie is a joint production between Bangladesh’s Chorki and Alpha-i and India’s Shree Venkatesh Films (SVF).
Producer of this movie, Shahriar Shakil said, “Barring any natural disasters, we are 100 per cent sure ‘Toofan’ will be released on Eid-ul-Azha.”
This movie, directed by Raihan Rafi, stars superstar Shakib Khan as Toofan, alongside Chanchal Chowdhury, Nabila, Misha Sawdagar, Fazlur Rahman Babu, and India’s Mimi Chakraborty.
Meanwhile, the movie ‘Jongli’, starring Siam and Bubly, is nearing the end of its shoot.
Director M Rahim said, “We started pre-production six months ago and then began shooting. Everything is progressing smoothly, and we expect to complete all preparations before Eid.”
On the other hand, the movie ‘Masud Rana’ has been in the making for several years, featuring ‘Men’s Fair and Lovely-Channel i Hero 2019’ winner Russell Rana. Production company Jaaz Multimedia has thereby announced its Eid-ul-Azha release.
Director of ‘Masud Rana’ Saikat Nasir said, “Only three to four scenes remain to be shot, which we will finish this month. Most of the editing and dubbing is done. The production company has instructed us to complete all post-production work a month before Eid, and we are on track.”
The movie is based on Qazi Anwar Hussain’s thriller series ‘Masud Rana’s Dhongsho Pahar’. The movie stars Puja Chery opposite Russell Rana.
Director Rashid Palash has confirmed that his movie ‘Moyurakkhi’ will also be released during Eid-ul-Azha.
The poster look of the movie has already been revealed. He said, “We are moving forward with the plan to release it on Eid-ul-Azha.”
This movie stars Bobby, Sudip Biswas, Sadia Mahi, Sumit Sengupta and Somu Chowdhury.
Other potential upcoming movies releases include Mithu Khan’s ‘Neel Chakra’ featuring Arifin Shuvoo and Mondera Chakraborty, Rakhal Sabuj’s ‘Pulsirat’ starring Ziaul Roshan and Bubly, and Mostafizur Rahman Manik’s ‘Dark World.’