United News of Bangladesh

Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the audiences for rallying behind his Eid-ul-Azha release ‘Taandob’ despite its early piracy, and vowed strong stance against piracy in the industry at the special screening of the film held on Sunday night at Star Cineplex’s Sony Square branch in the capital. Shakib joined the cast and crew to watch the film alongside his co-actress and the debutant Sabila Nur, the film’s producer Shahriar Shakil, director Raihan Rafi, co-producer and Chorki CEO Redoan Rony, and the rest of the cast and crew of the film, journalists and renowned media personalities. Despite being one of the most hyped films of this Eid, ‘Taandob’ fell victim to online piracy just a week into its release. However, audiences across the country have continued to flock to theatres, rejecting pirated copies and demonstrating strong support for local cinema. Addressing the press before the screening, Shakib Khan condemned the piracy, calling it a deliberate attack on the country’s cultural progress. “A vested quarter circulated pirated copies of 'Taandob', yet our audience has given a bold response; they said no to piracy and came to theatres to watch the film, and I’m truly grateful for this love,” he said. Ali Fazal Exclusive: "Mirzapur Is Only Growing, I'm Glad People Connect With It" Calling cinema one of the most powerful cultural mediums, Shakib expressed concern over the repeated targeting of major local releases. “We’ve seen this before with films like ‘Borbaad’, and now ‘Taandob’ which was pirated just within a week. It’s clear that when a film starts to succeed globally, it’s being sabotaged,” he added. Despite the setback, he noted that ‘Taandob’ continues to run housefull shows at many theatres, calling it a sign of the growing awareness and loyalty among Bangladeshi moviegoers. “We must all be vocal against piracy. The way audiences are showing up even after the leak proves we’re united. With this support, we’ll push back against those trying to destroy our film industry,” Shakib said. He also thanked law enforcement for arresting three individuals allegedly involved in the piracy. “They’ve taken quick action, and investigations are ongoing to find the main culprits. Those who act against our cultural interests must be held accountable,” he stated. Speaking at the event alongside Shakib Khan, producer of the film Shahriar Shakil remarked, “The audience has rejected pirated versions and embraced the theatrical experience. That is the strongest message we could hope for.” According to the Facebook-based Bangla Movie Review-BMR, ‘Taandob’ has made a grand total of 9.05 crore taka in 16 days, and Shakil also announced the film as a ‘Blockbuster’ at the special screening. ‘Taandob’ is a joint production of SVF Alpha-i Entertainment Ltd and OTT platform Chorki, with support from Deepto TV. The story of the film revolves around an attack made on a private television channel which leads to unfold several socio-political issues such as unemployment, exploitation of power, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing.    

The screening of Raihan Rafi’s much-hyped Eid release ‘Taandob' was suspended in Kalihati upazila of Tangail following protests by local religious groups and growing security concerns. Expressing frustration on social media, prominent filmmaker Ashfaque Nipun condemned the incident and criticised the interim government’s failure to tackle mob-led disruptions. “Recently, the screening of ‘Taandob' in Kalihati was halted due to threats from so-called ‘Touhidi Janata’, tourist centres in Sylhet were closed, yet the Chief Adviser of the interim government remains focused on the Chattogram Port,” Nipun recently wrote in a Facebook post. “You respond swiftly to any threat to the port—when will we see such resolve against mob behaviour? Immediately reinstate ‘Taandob' screenings in Kalihati, make public places safe, and above all, stop the rise of mob dominance. As this couldn’t be done over the past 10 months, your primary responsibility over the next 10 months should be to ensure it,” Nipun wrote in the post. ‘Taandob’ is Raihan Rafi’s best film yet: Shakib Khan The film was being screened at the Zilla Parishad’s Community Centre-cum-Multipurpose Hall in the Auliabad area of Kalihati since Eid day. Local cultural organisers Kamruzzaman Saiful and Saju Mehdi arranged the screening by renting the venue for Tk 10,000 per day with official approval, paying in advance for five days. The initiative faced resistance from a section of locals, and on Friday, a protest rally was held under the banner of the Parki Union Olama Parishad, where demonstrators demanded the screening be stopped, claiming it could disrupt nearby mosques, madrasas, and educational institutions. Protesters also warned of potential “unsocial activities” centring the film’s screening, and they informed local media that they had submitted a written appeal to the administration requesting the film’s screening be halted. Explaining the critical situation, one of the organisers of the screening Kamruzzaman Saiful told local media, “We were getting a good response from viewers, but started receiving threats from various sources. Due to increasing safety concerns, we had no choice but to suspend the screenings from Tuesday evening.” Shakib Khan's 'Taandob' announced for Eid-ul-Adha 2025 The other organizer Saju Mehdi said, “We invested heavily on paying rent, repairing the AC, printing tickets, and appointing volunteers. Unfortunately from the beginning, a certain group opposed the initiative and even prevented us from putting up posters and obstructed our promotional work.” Despite several mishaps and mob attacks in various screening places across the country since the Eid day, ‘Taandob’ has been dominating the screens as expected, courtesy of its strong storyline and Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan’s majestic performances.