After decades of shaping the small screen together, Kochi Khondokar and Mosharraf Karim are preparing to take their creative chemistry to the cinema for the first time through a story rooted in one of Bangladesh’s deepest communal passions: football.
Their upcoming film, ‘My Dear Football’, scheduled to begin production in mid-2026, shifts the spotlight away from the country’s stadiums and national leagues and instead turns to the football culture that thrives in small towns.
“I grew up watching the mofussil live and breathe football,” he said. “My father played football, so the game and the emotions around it have been with me since childhood.”
The title itself nods to a bygone era: the soft, scuffed footballs once found on nearly every local pitch. “There’s nostalgia in the object, but ‘dear’ also means beloved. The film holds both sentiments,” Kochi added.
Though the full cast is still being finalised, the director intends to hold an official announcement before the end of the year. He expects to shoot the film largely in Kushtia, capturing the textures of small-town life during back-to-back filming sessions in July and August 2026.
My Dear Football marks a milestone for Kochi, who has previously been forced to shelve film plans due to unforeseen delays. This time, he says, the groundwork is solid, “The script is locked. We’re ready to go.”
The project also arrives at a moment when the duo’s long-running collaboration is evolving. Kochi’s recent series ‘Tel Chhara Porota’, which premiered on Maasranga Television in August, opened without Mosharraf, a rare absence in his serials.
The director has since confirmed that the actor will join later episodes, keeping their partnership active on television even as they prepare for their first cinematic venture.
