‘Utshob’ special screening draws star-studded Dhaka audience

Audience at a special screening of Utsab in Dhaka

Dhaka, Jun 19 — A star-studded rendezvous took place on Wednesday night marking the special screening of 'Utshob', the family audience-oriented cinema that has become critically and commercially successful after being released this Eid. 

The special screening at Star Cineplex's SKS Tower branch was attended by several noted personalities, including renowned filmmaker and Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, economist and BRAC Chairperson Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, teacher-writer-columnist Anu Muhammad, politician Zonayed Saki, and prominent artists and professionals from the media industry. 

Prior to the screening, the film's director Tanim Noor welcomed the guests and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all who supported the film. 

Farooki said that films like 'Utshob' can inspire audiences to return to theatres and revive the culture of cinema-going. 

“When we started working on television, our goal was to tell our own stories in our own way. Today’s young filmmakers are doing just that, and 'Utshob' is a great example,” said Farooki while speaking at a special screening of the film. 

Anu Muhammad, who came to a movie theatre after a long hiatus to watch this particular film, said he was drawn by the film’s positive reception from audiences. “Films like 'Utshob' create an urge among people to come to theatres again,” he said prior to the screening. 

Redoan Rony, CEO of Chorki—the film’s co-producer and OTT partner—highlighted the film’s significance, saying, “After many years, families are coming together to enjoy a film. This is a splendid for our industry.” 

Producer of the film from Dope Productions Krishnendu Chattopadhyay expressed gratitude to the viewers, noting the enthusiasm of families attending the screenings. He also announced that the film will be released internationally starting June 20. 

Veteran actor Zahid Hasan, returning to the big screen with 'Utshob' after a long break, was visibly emotional during the event. “It feels like Eid for me today,” he said. 

The actor had been unwell during Eid and was absent from earlier promotions, making this his first appearance alongside the 'Utshob' team. 

“Whenever someone shows me love or affection, I get overwhelmed with emotion,” Zahid shared, his voice breaking as fellow actress Aupee Karim also wiped away tears standing behind him. 

“I’ve done several films in my career and even won a National Award, but no film has entered my life like this one. I’ve never seen this much enthusiasm from the crowd; never faced so many cameras at once. This is a huge gift in my life,” he emotionally stated. 

Besides Zahid Hasan as the central character, 'Utshob' features a star-studded cast including Tariq Anam Khan, Chanchal Chowdhury, Jaya Ahsan, Aupee Karim, Afsana Mimi, Azad Abul Kalam, Intekhab Dinar, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Sadia Ayman, and Soumya Jyoti in key roles. 

Special guests at the screening also included Jayanto Chattopadhyay, Anisul Hoque, Shahriar Shakil, Brindaban Das, Afsana Ara Bindu, Shariful Raj, Kazi Nowshaba, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Bijori Barkatullah, Imtiaz Borshon, Sumon Anwar, Nuhash Humayun, Gultekin Ahmed and Nowrin Jahan Khan Jenny, among others. 

'Utshob' features two songs—“Tumi” by Level Five and “Dhushor Shomoy” by Artcell. Members of both bands were also present at the event. 

The story of 'Utshob' was written by Tanim Noor, Ayman Asib Shadhin, Sushmoy Sarkar, and Samiul Bhuiyan. Cinematography was done by eminent cinematographer Rashed Zaman, with screenplay and dialogue by Ayman Asib Shadhin and Samiul Bhuiyan. 

Presented by BRAC Bank, the film is produced by Dope Productions in association with Chorki, with Laughing Elephant as a co-producing partner. The film's international distribution is being handled by Shopno Scarecrow and Poth Productions. - UNB