The year 2022 is a time for new beginnings, and Windows production house has lined up a bouquet of new films on diverse themes that’ll release in theatres. While Baba, Baby O releases on February 4, Belashuru hits the screens on May 20. Lokkhichhele arrives in theatres on June 17 and Haami 2 releases on December 23. In a chat with The Telegraph, Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay rolls out the plans of Windows for 2022...
You have announced the Windows slate for 2022. Why did you decide to make the announcement now?
Life is inching back to near-normal. The local trains have started plying and schools reopened after long. I have been to Mumbai many times over the past months and the flights were all packed. We are all fighting to get back to the world we have always known. For cinema too, it’s the same. We are ready to release films and people are returning to theatres. It’s important to make an announcement as it keeps everyone — the exhibitors, distributors and the audience — in the loop. I know of people who live abroad and plan their summer vacations around the time of our film release. I know of people from Bangladesh who book flight tickets to Kolkata to watch our films and there’s an audience base in many states. For Praktan and Posto, special festivals were organised by the Bengali community in Los Angeles. There are major enquiries for Baba, Baby O and Belashuru. Bengali communities are set to organise special shows in New York and San Francisco for Belashuru. Booking for special screenings have been made in Ahmedabad. Our film releases are like carnivals. We want to share the joy of cinema with everyone.
How has the feedback been after you made the announcement?
Over the past months, there was a lot of query from exhibitors. I had a chance meeting with them at the newly built Windows Preview Theatre, where they had met to watch a Hindi film. Many asked us to release the films now. So, when the announcement came, it was very overwhelming. Rajkumar Damani, our distributor, was very happy and I got encouraging feedback from industry insiders like Naveen Chokhani, Pankaj Ladia, Arijit Dutta, Ujjal Biswas and Vinod Bhalla, among others. Nandu Ahuja from Eros International congratulated us. That apart, there was palpable euphoria among the audience, which is our strongest support system. Someone said if it was possible to get a seasonal ticket for the films!
Belashuru. Sourced by The Telegraph
Why pick those specific dates for the films?
Saraswati Puja, which is February 5 this year, is an unofficial lovers’ day in Bengal. Then, February 14 is Valentine’s Day. We thought Baba, Baby O would be perfect for this season as the film is a completely out-of-the-box love story of a single father falling in love with a girl much younger.
Then, summer has always been a good time for our films and May 20 is a special day for me. Belaseshe released on May 1, 2015. So, we thought of bringing Belashuru on May 20. Kaushikda’s (Ganguly) film is set to hit the theatres on June 17. Around that time, the film’s lead, Ujaan Ganguly, who is currently in Oxford, is expected to be in Kolkata. Logistically, it’s the best time for us.
Last but not the least, Haami 2 will release on Christmas next year as it’s a film of, for and by the kids, with a grand cast. It’s a complete entertainer and we are about to begin the shoot from December 14.
Why did you not release a film during Puja 2021 or Christmas?
I generally try to avoid clashes. The Puja films were announced much ahead and we didn’t want to add a new release. It’s the same with Christmas. Also, we want to bring a film like Haami 2 for Christmas and I am sure the audience will wait for it to happen.
Tell us more about starting the shoot of a new film now?
Yes, we are all set. The film is beginning on December 14 and we are shooting nearly after 2.5 years. For six months, we auditioned 5,500 kids for the parts and are very happy with the way things have shaped up. People have huge expectations from Haami 2 as Haami was the highest grosser in 2018.
Lokkhichhele. Sourced by The Telegraph
Would you like to direct web shows in the future? If yes, what kind of shows?
Yes, why not? Work is on for more than a year. We are scripting a period project and hopefully, it will be big!
Did you watch any new film in the theatres recently? How was the theatre experience?
I watched Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, as my family and friends were gung-ho about the film. On the first day itself, I was told I had to go or they were going without me! After spending two miserable years at home, those who surround me are always looking for entertainment. They want masala films that ensure complete paisa vasool. I don’t blame them. I now want to enjoy the two hours that I am investing at a theatre, as I can watch anything and everything on OTT. For me, there’s no alternative to the big-screen experience, but I am clear about what I want to watch. The theatre experience was fun. My friends were screaming at the entry of the actors and we had tubs full of popcorn. It felt like before!
Are the couples and the family audience coming back to theatres?
They have started coming back. I saw the family audience — youngsters, couples, kids — at the theatre when I went for Sooryavanshi. People are tired of watching films alone. They want to laugh and cry with others, they want to connect with others. The community experience is back on the cricket ground and it will be back in theatres too; it is just a matter of time.
And to sum up, how was the year 2021 for Windows?
We had a brilliant year. We completed Baba, Baby O in April and are shooting Haami 2 in December. The television and ad wings are getting stronger by the day. We are working on 10 new films. It’s been a year of ideation and brainstorming away from the world.