With dip in COVID-19 cases, three Bengali movies lined up for theatre release

With dip in COVID-19 cases, three Bengali movies lined up for theatre release
News Representation Image Source: Google Images

Kolkata: With cinephiles returning to theatres and multiplexes following a dip in fresh COVID-19 cases, at least three Bengali filmmakers have lined up their movies for release, including one on Wednesday.

'8/12', a movie depicting the assassination of the then tyrant IG (Prisons) Lieutenant Colonel N S Simpson by freedom fighters Benoy Bose, Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta at the then British secretariat Writers' Building in the heart of Kolkata, will be released in theatres on Republic Day, its producer Kan Singh Sodha told PTI.

"We were initially in dilemma over the release date due to the COVID-19 situation, but we finally decided that it would be apt to release it on Republic Day as a mark of respect to the three freedom fighters," he said.

Film director Arun Roy said, "In the first week of January, when cases had spiralled, we had mulled deferring the release. However, after much discussion, we decided to release it on January 26. It is a special movie for us in which we have paid homage to our national heroes."

Two other big releases, Srijit Mukherji directed 'Kakababur Pratyabartan' and Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy produced 'Baba Baby O', are scheduled for release on February 4.

An office-bearer of the Eastern India Motion Pictures Association said that makers of the two movies had initially mulled postponing the release but later changed their minds and decided to stick to the original date after a dip in fresh COVID-19 cases.

"Our film will be released on February 4, as decided earlier," a spokesperson of producing firm SVF said.

The movie, casting Prosenjit Chatterjee in the lead role, is based on Sunil Gangopadhyay's adventure novel 'Jongoler modhye ek hotel'.

In 'Baba Baby O', Jisshu Sengupta enacts the role of a surrogate father.

"We had evaluated the COVID-19 situation throughout 2021, when the second wave of the pandemic hit us hard. Later last year, films releases were announced on important dates and we didn't want a clash at a time when the Bengali film industry needs a lot of support.

"However, after a period of gloom, we are starting the new year with a lot of love and laughter as 'Baba Baby O' is a complete entertainer," a spokesperson of the producers said.

Satadeep Saha, the owner of a popular single-single theatre and a prominent distributor, said that all recent releases are doing well in the box office.

"Dev and Paran Bandopadhyay starrer 'Tonic' is still going housefull on weekends even a month after its release. This has reinforced the faith of producers and distributors on releasing movies on the big screen," he added.