The Eken — Ruddhaswas Rajasthan has emerged as the first Bengali superhit film of 2023. Starring Anirban Chakrabarti, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Somak Ghosh and Sandipta Sen, the film has captured the hearts of audiences, culminating in a remarkable box-office collection of over Rs 3 crore. The year has also brought good tidings as it has continued the streak of superhits around Poila Baisakh, which had taken place with the mega success of The Eken last year during the same time. The Eken emerged as a box-office hit and performed exceptionally well in 2022. Similarly, this year’s release The Eken — Ruddhaswas Rajasthan is also experiencing strong audience turnout and packed shows at theatres, even after three weeks since its release.

Indeed, the Bengali audience has shown a strong affinity towards The Eken and has expressed love for it, especially during Poila Baisakh every year. It is worth noting that this year, the popularity of The Eken — Ruddhaswas Rajasthan has transcended national borders and has been received very well in both national and international markets.

Mahendra Soni, co-founder and director of SVF, said: “The success of The Eken — Ruddhaswas Rajasthan resonates throughout the film industry, serving as a point to the unyielding essence of Bengali cinema and the deep bond it creates with its viewers.” He also thanked the exhibitors for their support and dedication towards the Bengali film industry’s success.

The film is still witnessing houseful shows on weekends. With its latest instalment, the franchise has soared to become one of the most dependable grossers from Bengali cinema.

Anirban Chakrabarti as Eken Babu

(L-R) Rajatava, Sandipta, Suhotra

Anirban Chakrabarti, who has garnered immense acclaim, travelled to Mumbai and Chennai to personally meet his fans, and the response he received was beyond his expectations. He witnessed packed houses and huge crowds of fans gathering just to catch a glimpse of their favourite character in person.

“I am grateful to my co-actors, crew, and director Joydeep Mukherjee, for their exceptional work and support in bringing out Eken Babu on the silver screen. I also want to thank the audience for their unwavering support and kindness, which has helped the film achieve remarkable success,” said Anirban.

The endearing investigator is eccentric and quick-witted, and his courage is his armour in a moment of crisis. He gets entangled in such situations at times that can only elicit laughter. Unlike other private eyes, Eken Babu is extremely effervescent, also a connoisseur of food, but this time, while on vacation in Rajasthan, he comes across circumstances that set off the inquiry for a theft and murder mystery. “Eken Babu is a special figure in my journey. Eken Babu became so popular within such a short span of time... and the immense popularity of the series paved the way for films. Eken Babu has this huge connection because he is very adorable and loveable. We have not seen detectives like Eken Babu before. Eken is not larger than life like the others. He is the guy next door. He loves to eat, talks a lot, and comes up with poor jokes. He is unassuming. At the same time, he is very intelligent, sharp and properly trained. The contrasting characteristics have made him very interesting,” said Anirban.

He had travelled to Rajasthan for the first time for the shoot of this film. “And we had an amazing time there. I had watched Sonar Kella multiple times, but it is a different experience watching the fort unravel itself in front of you. It feels extremely overwhelming watching it from such close quarters. We got to know so much about the place; about its history. I actually didn’t have words to describe it when I saw Sonar Kella for the first time,” said Anirban.