Critical of Didi, no takers for ‘Bhobishyoter Bhoot’ film

Even after the Supreme Court, in a directive on March 15, asking West Bengal government to ensure smooth screening of ‘Bhobishyoter Bhoot‘, makers of the film are still struggling to find an exhibitor in Kolkata.

Talking to DNA, one of its producers, Kalyanmoy Chatterjee said they had written to exhibitors, but to no avail. “None of them responded. We will have to report it to the Supreme Court,” Chatterjee said. He said films normally meet 80-90 per cent of expenditure during the first two weeks of the film’s release, which the film has lost already.

Exhibitors said there was no screen available in the city. “It is already showing in places like Sodepur in North 24 Parganas and Howrah. In Kolkata, I think it is too late. There are films like Captain Marvel and Badla already doing very well and Kesari is all set to be released on Friday,” said a city-based exhibitor.

Arijit Dutta, exhibitor and owner of Priya Cinema spoke on the same lines. “If BhobishyoterBhoothad not been screened at all, it would have been a separate question; but now, it can’t be called a new film,” he said and added that makers should opt for other platforms for its release. “As the film has had the publicity it needed, it can as well be released on Netflix and other digital platforms. Producers can also talk to TV channels,” Dutta said.

However, on condition of anonymity, an exhibitor said the film is critical on Mamata government in the state. Exhibitors apparently didn’t want to take a risk by annoying Didi’s supporters.

The film, written and directed by Anik Dutta and starring Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Chandrayee Ghosh and Kaushik Sen, is about the struggle for existence for some ghosts who were trying to figure out a way to live either in cyberspace or meatspace. Dutta takes a dig at nearly all major political parties but the TMC bears a major part of the brunt. Phrases like ‘Anupreronai’ (inspired by), ‘unnayon’ (development), ‘Imam bhata’ (honorarium to Muslim clerics) and other jargons which are typical to TMC have been liberally used.

The lyrics of one of the songs said, ‘Unnoyon er koper theke naiko poritran’, which means ‘You can’t escape the predicaments of development’. The song also talks about ‘Utsav’, ‘Khela’, ‘Mela’, things that Opposition parties said Mamata was consumed with, overlooking the governance in Bengal.

The film also talks about paintings being sold for crores of rupees, hinting at Mamata’s paintings allegedly bought by chit fund company owners. One of the actors of the film had stark resemblance with TMC district president from Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, who has been famous or infamous for his acerbic comments against the Opposition leaders and to carry out polls with the help of his musclemen.

Interestingly, Moon Moon Sen who is a TMC MP played a cameo in the film but when called up refused to comment on the issue.