A star-studded family film titled 'Utshob' from acclaimed director Tanim Noor is scheduled to release during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, featuring an ensemble cast of celebrated actors including Zahid Hasan, Chanchal Chowdhury, Jaya Ahsan, Aupee Karim, Afsana Mimi, Intekhab Dinar, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Sadia Ayman, Azad Abul Kalam, Tariq Anam Khan, and Dibya Jyoti, among others.
The official poster for the film was unveiled at a ceremony held Tuesday at the Shooting Club in the capital's Gulshan.
Director Tanim Noor said the inspiration for 'Utshob' came from the nostalgic charm of 1990s family dramas and films. “The message of Eid is about spiritual cleansing, sacrifice, and celebration. These ideas inspired the name of the film," he said.
The poster of the film carries a unique message for viewers, stating: “Warning: Watching this film without family is prohibited.”
Regarding this message, Tanim Noor said: "We don’t see many Eid-themed films these days. I wanted to create something that could be watched with the entire family and bring back memories of that time."
In response to a question from the UNB correspondent, Noor shared that the film was inspired by English novelist Charles Dickens’ classic novella 'A Christmas Carol'. He noted that while there are numerous films centred on Christmas and other religious holidays, there is a lack of films made about Eid.
“That’s something I kept in mind while making 'Utshob'. The film is crafted in a way so that every member of the family can enjoy it together,” he added.
Veteran actor Zahid Hasan spoke about his experience working on the film, saying, “We shot until late at night and put in a lot of effort, but it was a delightful experience to work together. These kinds of stories used to be common, but are now rare; so I believe audiences will appreciate the film and my character as well.”
Actors Afsana Mimi and Aupee Karim reflected on how working together on ensemble projects used to be more frequent. Aupee Karim said, “When I first heard the story from Tanim Noor, I was immediately drawn to it."
"This generation hasn’t seen much of our work," Aupee Karim said. "So when I got the offer, I felt I shouldn’t miss the chance. Let this generation see our work.”
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Afsana Mimi echoed the sentiment, adding gratitude to the director for the ensemble cast. "I got to work with my favourite and respected actors such as Zahid Hasan in this film, after such a long time. We enjoyed the work, now hoping that our audience will enjoy the cinema as much as we enjoyed."
Actor Chanchal Chowdhury remarked, “Each character in this film is significant, each one could stand alone as its own story. This is our film, a film about our culture and our celebration - so please come to the theatres with your families to watch it together.”
Actor Intekhab Dinar said, “I was the last to be cast, but I thoroughly enjoyed the work. Films suited for family viewing during Eid are rare nowadays. I became nostalgic during the shooting, reminiscing our experiences, and I believe 'Utshob' will be a refreshing experience for viewers this Eid."
Also present at the poster unveiling were actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, actor FS Nayeem, director Syed Ahmed Shawki, film critic Syed Nazmus Sakib and others.
Redoan Rony, CEO of Chorki, said, “I’ve worked with many of the cast and crew since the beginning of my career as an assistant director, and later as a director. Tanim Noor put in a tremendous effort to bring everyone together, and Chorki is committed to sharing the joy of 'Utshob' with Bangla-speaking audiences around the world.”
Others who spoke at the event included Krishnendu Chattopadhyay, Managing Director of Dope Productions; Ayman Asib Shadhin, co-writer of the film and acclaimed writer of the web series 'Kaiser'; and Rashed Zaman, the film’s cinematographer.