The Dhallywood industry has shifted increasingly towards Eid-centric releases in recent years and that trend is set to continue next year. Several major titles are already being prepared for Eid, including Shakib Fahad’s ‘Soldier’, Abu Hayat Mahmud’s ‘Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka’, Raihan Rafi’s ‘Andhar’, Saif Chandan’s ‘Malik’, Redwan Rony’s ‘Domm’ and Tanim Noor’s ‘Bonolota Express’.
Shakib Khan stars as an intelligence operative in Soldier, opposite Tanjin Tisha. The cast also includes Tariq Anam Khan, Taukir Ahmed, ABM Sumon and Jannatul Ferdous Oishee. The film was initially expected to release in December, although shooting still remains incomplete.
Director Shakib Fahad confirmed to The TIMES of Bangladesh that the film will no longer be released in December. He did not commit to an Eid release, saying only that a small amount of filming remains and that the team intends to choose an appropriate release window after completing all work.
Abu Hayat Mahmud’s Prince has already been announced as an Eid-ul-Fitr release. Shooting begins on December 15 . Shakib Khan will be paired with popular television actress Tasnia Farin and Kolkata serial actress Jyotirmayee Kundu. Shirin Sultana of Creative Lands, the production company, confirmed that the action film is being readied for Eid.
Andhar is being produced by Saidus Salehin Suman, also known as Bassbaba Sumon, of Aurthothin, and Shakib Chowdhury of Cryptic Fate. Directed by Raihan Rafi, the film features Siam Ahmed, Chanchal Chowdhury and Nazifa Tushi, along with Afsana Mimi, Mostafa Monowar, Farrukh Ahmed Rehan and Swarnali Chaiti. Siam plays an intelligence officer.
Rafi told TIMES that shooting has been completed and post-production is underway. He hopes to release the film at Eid and hinted that a second film of his may also be ready for the same occasion.
Saif Chandan’s Malik, starring Arifin Shuvo and Bidya Sinha Mim, is also expected to arrive at Eid. Although Chandan initially withheld details about the film’s genre, footage released in the media has confirmed it as an action title. With Shuvo absent from cinemas for some time, anticipation among fans is high. Chandan is confident of an Eid-ul-Fitr release.
Redoan Rony has begun shooting Domm in Kazakhstan, featuring Afran Nisho, Pooja Cherry and Chanchal Chowdhury. The film has drawn interest due to Rony’s return to filmmaking after a decade and its strong cast. Jointly produced by SVF Alpha I Entertainment Limited and Chorki, the film is being prepared for Eid release.
For many years, no film has been made from Humayun Ahmed’s stories or novels. Tanim Noor is adapting his novel Khidhu Kshan as Bonolota Express. A large train set has been built for the film, which will begin shooting shortly. Chanchal Chowdhury, Shariful Raj and Sabila Noor are among the cast. The director has said he intends to release the film only at Eid.
Production company Real Energy and director Mehedi Hasan Hridoy drew attention this year with Barbad, starring Shakib Khan. Their next project, Rakshas, will star Siam Ahmed instead of Shakib. Shooting begins soon, and the producer, Shahreen Akhter Sumi, confirmed that it will also target an Eid release. According to her, big-budget films in Bangladesh struggle to perform commercially outside Eid.
A look at the upcoming Eid slate shows three films featuring Chanchal Chowdhury, two each with Shakib Khan and Siam Ahmed and one with Shariful Raj. Seven films have been announced so far. More titles are expected to join the list closer to Eid, while others may drop out. The final number of Eid releases remains to be announced.
