The upcoming Bengali release Dhumketu, slated for Thursday, 14 August, will bring together superstars Dev and Subhashree Ganguly, generating considerable excitement.
Advance‑booking figures show the film has already sold close to 18,000 tickets, whereas Hrithik Roshan‑Jr NTR’s War 2 has managed only about 5,000 tickets in West Bengal.
Can the nostalgic pull of Dhumketu topple the Yash Raj Films juggernaut?
Even the producers of Dhumketu are taken aback by the sheer volume of pre‑sales. A trade insider told Bollywood Hungama: “Dhumketu opens on the same day as War 2 and Rajinikanth’s Coolie—Thursday, 14 August. The buzz around the film was already massive, but the advance‑ticket numbers have surprised everyone.”
“Show‑times across the state, especially in Kolkata, are filling up quickly or are almost sold out.”
War 2’s distributors had originally requested full‑screen allocation across the Hindi‑speaking market, yet they have made a concession for Dhumketu in West Bengal. The same trade source added: “YRF appears to have granted an exception after seeing the response to Dhumketu’s advance bookings, allowing some theatres to share screens.”
“Aditya Chopra, who heads YRF, takes a practical view and recognises the hype surrounding both the Bengali film and War 2, which is why the accommodation was offered.”
In Kolkata’s single‑screen venues such as Prachi, Asoka and Menoka, War 2 has been allotted three shows, while Dhumketu receives only one. Conversely, Jayanti and Binodini theatres have scheduled two shows each for Dhumketu.
At Navina and Uma Talkies, both Dhumketu and the Hindi version of Coolie have been given two shows apiece. The historic Priya cinema will run three shows of War 2 from 14 August, with a single show for Dhumketu.
Dhumketu features a star‑studded Bengali cast, including Dev, Subhashree Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee and Chiranjeet Chakraborty. Notably, production began in October 2015, wrapped up in January 2017, and after a series of setbacks, the project was revived earlier this year.
The film marks the on‑screen reunion of the beloved Dev‑Ganguly pairing. An insider from the Bengali film industry shared with Bollywood Hungama: “Audiences know the movie was completed nine‑to‑ten years ago, yet they are still eager to see it.”
