Five Bengali films are slated to hit the big screen in this Durga Puja, as the producers are optimistic about a good response following the rise in footfall at cinema halls showing Bengali films with fresh content.

Bengali film superstar Dev is in the lead of two flicks – period piece ‘Golondaj’ and fantasy comedy having political overtones ‘Hobu Chandra Raja Gobuchandra Mantri’, while ‘Baazi’ has Bengali hero Jeet and Mimi Chakraborty in the lead.

All the three films, the first two mounted on a big canvas, will be released on October 10, the day of Maha Panchami, the producers said.

Two other Bengali films – ‘Bony’ which starred versatile actor Parambrata Chatterjee, actor-director Anjan Dutt and Kanchan Mallick and Takhon Kuasha Chhilo, having late Soumitra Chatterjee in the lead and Saswata Chatterjee in an important role, will also be released during the festive season, industry sources said. Director of ‘Takhon Kuasha Chhilo’, Saibal Mitra expressed joy that the film, made in 2019, will be released on October 8 more because it starred thespian Soumitra Chatterjee and the first film to hit the screen after his death about a year back.

A spokesperson of SVF, producers of ‘Golondaj’, a biopic of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari who had made the country proud by his barefoot football skills against a club of Britishers, said the situation is encouraging as proved in the audience response to ‘Mukhosh’ which had recorded houseful or decent crowd in the few weeks after release despite the pandemic threat.

”We are confident that the film will be accepted by audiences as halls and plexes are maintaining all covid protocols with 50 per cent occupancy, ” she added.

Dev said ”I wish all the films, having my friends in the cast, are seen by the audiences. It is very much required for the future of film industry. But I will surely want two of my films are not missed by anyone who will visit the theatres on five puja days.” National award winning director Atanu Ghosh, whose ‘Binisutoy’ had houseful shows at state run Nandan for past one month, said he hopes that the films released in puja get audience backing like in pre-covid times. This is necessary for the survival of cinema, he said.

Satadip Saha, owner of a local multiplex chain and a producer, said the response from the audience should be continuous. The habit of going to halls should be brought back to the public and not every film can be made for OTT release, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)