‘Devi Chowdhurani’ is the first Bengali film to receive official Indo-UK co-production status from both governments. This is a historical moment in the Bengali Film world. Srabanti Chatterjee will be seen in the title role as ‘ Devi Chowdhurani’. Prasenjit Chatterjee will play the male lead opposite her. The film is believed to set a new precedent in international film production. Subhrajit Mitra, a National Award-Winning Filmmaker, is directing it. Soumyajit Majumder, Aparna, and Aniruddha Dasgupta are in charge of the project.
Based on the novel by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, ‘Devi Chowdhurani,’ a role that Suchitra Sen first essayed, is about a young woman in 18th-century Bengal who, after being abandoned by her in-laws, is adopted by a dacoit and ends up becoming a female Robin Hood. The recognition of Devi Chowdhurani as an official co-production is a testament to the strong cultural diplomacy efforts between India and the UK. This was facilitated by the Indo-UK film co-production agreement signed in 2007.
‘Devi Chowdhurani’ is now in the initial post-production phase. In addition to Prasenjit-Srabanti, the movie will feature Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Arjun Chakraborty, Darshana Banik, Sathan Chatterjee, and Kinjal Nanda.
In a recent interview with a Bengali Channel, Prasenjit Chatterjee said, “I am very happy to be the hero in ‘Devi Chowdhurani.’ ‘Ministry of I&B’ from India, ‘NFDC,’ ‘FFO’ and ‘Invest India’ and ‘BFI,’ ‘DCMS’ will jointly develop a new pathway. I congratulate this initiative for cultural and historical heritage.”
The director of the film, Subhrajit Mitra, said, “It was a privilege to work with Aniruddha and Aparna, the producer duo, and co-producer Soumya. Their diligent efforts and constant urge to expand the global market of Bengali films have resulted in this historic collaboration, which will be a game changer for filmmakers who dare to dream big.” This film is scheduled to release in 2024 and will be the first Bengali Pan India movie in seven languages.